The Girl who Loved Russia
by Jrosethehuntress
Summary: Follow Anna, a World History student teleported to the world of Hetalia! But who is this mysterious group that is targeting the nations, and will she fall into their clutches in order to save her new friends? Or will she end up finding love in the physical embodiment of her favorite country, who just so happens to wear a scarf?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Heyo! So, starting a new fic that started as a 'what if' scenario. Read and review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own HAP! Not mine, despite my wishes

Reznov…. Reznov… damn it, where is it?" a petite redhead whispered to herself. Anna Colins scanned the rows of books upon the shelf in Cambridge's University Library, searching for a copy of the autobiography written by one of the conspirators of the Russian Revolution. This book was crucial for her to complete her Doctoral thesis paper and for her to finally earn her PhD in World History. All her life, Anna has loved books. Mind, not the usual fairy stories or romances other girls her age read and giggled over. No, instead she begged her parents to read her stories of how Caesar crossed the Rubicon, how America won their independence or how Richard the Lionheart won England it's freedom from French rule and lead many Crusades to Jerusalem. Her father, a native Englishman, enjoyed particularly reading her any history that highlighted the English triumphing over France in any way. Not that she minded of course, she loved each country's rich history equally without judgement or reproach.

Well, almost equally.

Anna could never explain it, but for as long as she could remember she had a keen fascination in the vast and somewhat bloody history of Russia. A part of it she contributed to her slight morbid interest in war and torture, a side effect of growing up with classic horror films and Tim Burton films. A huge part of it she concluded was after she watched Don Bluth's _Anastasia_ for the first time. Not only did the story and beautifully written music entrance her, but the dark themes and vivid landscapes portrayed of post-revolutionary Russia was branded into her brain like a birthmark. All throughout middle school and high school she read books about Russian history and culture, even going as far as to try and pick up a little bit of the Russian language (with a good deal of success). She was a little saddened that the real Grand Duchess of Russia Anastasia Romanov did in fact die with her family, but it didn't dull her love for the film or for the country.

Needless to say, her interests tended to isolate her and invite bullies to pick on her, though they never lasted long. With studying history she learned much of the politics of the world and how it changed through the years, leading to her to identify as a 'democratic socialist.' Some nasty folks called her a 'dirty Commie' after she explained her views, until she explained the vast differences between Socialism and Communism, with Socialism being the more logical of the two, and how 'the witch hunts are over, so fuck off and let me have my opinions.' No one challenged her political view after that. Score one for facts!

After that, people attacked her lineage, calling her things like 'half breed' and 'fake American.' This was due to the fact that her dad was from England while her mother was American born, and that due to circumstances she ended up being born in England herself before moving to the states. This direct attack on her family prompted the very few times she lost her even temper and lashed out in retaliation, but nothing serious ever happened, though sometimes she wished they would have.

She was never without friends though. Her somewhat quirky nature landed her in the middle of the drama department during her high school years. Here she fueled her love for various things with other weirdos, namely but not limited to; Doctor Who, Supernatural, Sherlock, Marvel Movies, Books (of all sorts and genres) and of course... Anime!

Her love for the Japanese animation style stemmed from an appreciation of the culture and art style portrayed in these shows. It began in middle school when she had no friends and grew when she had many friends to fangirl with. Any and all anime she watched, regardless of genre or length, as long as it interested her. Her interests never wavered, even when she graduated high school and went to college in England to study World History. Her undergraduate was completed at a liberal arts university near Liverpool, where she wowed and impressed her tutors with her enthusiasm and articulate attention to detail and passed at the top of her class. Both Oxford and Cambridge gave her offers to study post graduate, but she opted to go to Cambridge as they guaranteed her a chance to continue on to her Doctorate. Which brings us to the present.

Yes, life was good for Anna. She made money for tuition and living working as a teacher's assistant at the university and was paid handsomely for her work. People always teased her that she preferred hanging out with dead people more than the living, something she only laughed along with whenever she did go out for the occasional drink with her mates. Dating had never been a priority for her, though she did go to the odd movie or cup of coffee now and then. No men really sparked her interest nor seemed keen enough to stick around once they realized how passionate she was with the past. Which was all fine with her.

"Miss, are you finding everything alright?" The librarian asked Anna as she approached. Anna shook her head.

"Not really. I'm trying to find 'The Birth of a Comrade' by Alexander Reznov, but it doesn't seem to be here with the other Russian authors." Anna explained. The old librarian nodded her head.

"Ah, a copy book was just returned and probably hasn't made it back to the shelves yet. I'll get it ready for you if you just follow me." The liberian said leading Anna back to the front desk. Soon she came out with an older looking manuscript than Anna was expecting. She couldn't wait to get her hands on it.

"Normally I don't let students take first editions like this from the library, but you always take such good care of our books so I'll make an exception. Name? Degree? Estimated time of holding?" The librarian asked sitting in front of a computer.

"Anna Louise Collins, World History Doctorate thesis, about a week." Anna listed off while the old woman entered her details into the online database.

"Very good. Here you go!" She said handing the book over with a smile. Anna thanked her and practically skipped out of the library and down the road towards her apartment which was only a few blocks away. She was always thankful for the ability to walk almost anywhere in London, or hop on the tube, train or bus whenever needed. Her apartment was a little brownstone near the university completely paid for by the college for the duration of her studies, completely furnished along with a TV. It wasn't very big, but it was home.

The moment she stepped through her door she deposited her coat and shoes by the door and placed the book on the kitchen table next to her purse. While she went into the small kitchen to fix herself her afternoon fix of English tea she was oblivious when a mysterious piece of parchment fell from the cover of the book on to the middle of the floor. While the kettle boiled she turned on the TV and switched over to Netflix, where the next episode of Hetalia: Axis Powers was ready.

Now, one may think that a history buff such as Anna wouldn't go near an anime that depicted historical events in such a comedic almost parodied manner. It was the exact opposite; real facts, humor, great art and jokes, hot guys and obvious yaoi shipping involved (come on, every anime fan has done this at least once), how could she not love it? She laughed at the antics of America, representing all she hated about her homeland in a great way, sympathized with poor England for all the crap he had to deal with and rolled her eyes at anything France did or said. She obviously shipped Germany and Italy and squealed at their adorable antics. However, her real guilty pleasure was her little crush on Russia.

Her anime friends called her crazy when she named Russia her favorite out of all the Hetalia men. For some reason she found Russia's child like insanity both endearing, and scarily accurate. Having studied Russian history almost religiously, she could understand why poor Russia seemed to be feared no matter what. Maybe she was crazy, but she'll fight tooth and nail to defend the inner goodness she knew he carried. Then the kettle started whistling loudly.

It was when she was going to removed the kettle from the stove that she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Looking down, she noticed a piece of paper in the floor and curiously she picked it up. It felt more like parchment and smelled strongly of ink and age. It was folded neatly into quarters and on one side a pentagram was drawn.

"What's this doing here?" She asked herself while she opened the paper. Inside was a single line of cursive scrawl.

"Enter our world less it become ever the more poorer, recite our lore with these words; dumbladora the explorer!"

"This is like something England would write... Actually, it's exactly what he'd write". Anna laughed tossing the paper aside. However, behind her the paper started to glow and as she turned around a bright white light enveloped the room before she had a chance to call out.

When the light had dimmed, Anna and the mysterious note had disappeared, the cup of tea forgotten.

HETALIA VERSE

This time, the world conference was held at England's house in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII. Instead of a normal conference, and at the insistent begging of America, the countries decided to put a hold on discussions and celebrate instead over the end of a dark time in the world's history.

"Dude, if it wasn't for me we totally would have lost! All hail the hero!" America shouted hoisting his drink into the air. England rolled his eyes while shaking his head.

"If memory serves we did quite fine without you America. Churchill and I held off the Germans for over a year."

"Ja, but if memory also serves, ve destroyed half your country..." Germany mumbled under his breath. Unfortunately England heard him.

"Cities can be rebuilt! And you still lost either way!" He countered.

"Da, though it was really General Winter who beat Germany. Silly Germany, thinking he can conquer the snow... Unless he decide to become one with Russia... Then he can get used to snow..." Russia said, the last part more to himself. The poor Baltic states did their best to avoid the tall country, knowing full well how terrible the winters can be. Germany balked at the implications and backed away grumbling. The other countries never failed to keep reminding him of his crimes and failures during the World Wars, it wasn't his fault he ended up with a couple crazy bosses.

"I rery don't think that all this matters, seeing as it was nearry sixty years ago..." Japan noted. Italy then popped up out of nowhere startling the reserved nation.

"But Japan! You attacked America no? America wouldn't have joined the war otherwise!" He stated, the usual carefree smile still partnered with a singsong voice.

"Hey, that's not true!" America protested before Japan had a thing to say about it.

"You sure did absolutely nothing to help when Germany invaded! Shame on you..." France accused with a pout. Pretty soon the whole room erupted into a cacophonous argument between nations, friend and foe alike, names being thrown almost as freely as the oncoming punches. However, just before England and France we about to resume their usual rumble, the power went out then back on again. Everyone was silent.

"Vhat the hell vas that?" Germany asked. All of a sudden a loud explosion erupted from the middle of the table along with a plume of green smoke.

"WOOOOAHH NELLIE!" A frightened feminine voice shouted from the plume before a petite girl with auburn hair, blue eyes framed by glasses, pale skin, wearing a black sweater over skinny jeans and red converse, shot out of the smoke like a bullet and slid along the table until she slowly stopped in front of the very confused G8. No one dared to speak as she layed face down on the table with her arms in front of her.

"Ooooooow... My face..." She groaned as she tried to get up. England was the first to break the silence and rushed to her side.

"Dear god, are you alright?" He asked helping her sit up. The girl rubbed her head and winced.

"Considering the fact I just got teleported through a wormhole, before I had my tea mind, and I have a headache the size of bloody China, I'm just fine..." She replied.

"Bloody? Aiyah! Why did no one tell me I was bleeding?!" A very panicked China asked while searching himself for injuries.

"Oh no it's just an expression I picked up from..." Anna started to say before she comprehend her surroundings. Slowly she looked at England beside her, taking in his golden hair, green eyes and thick eyebrows. It couldn't be...!

"...England?" She both asked and finished her previous statement.

"Yes?" He replied. Anna looked down at herself, then around the room, then stared particularly nowhere as she threaded both hands through her hair in disbelief.

"Holy. Mother. Russia..." She exclaimed in her singular way.

"Da?"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: New chapter! I'm trying my best to keep the characters IC, so please help me out where you can! I'm still relatively new to Hetalia lol xD**

"That was also just an expression… oh my god, oh my god oh my god oh my god…. this can't be happening…" Anna said as she got up to start frantically pacing.

"Hang on there…" England tried to get her to sit down but she was having none of it.

"This has got to be a dream, yeah that's it, I just asleep watching this show…"

"Um, miss…?" America asked looking confused. What show was she talking about?

"...and now I'm dreaming! Or, maybe I got the wrong brand of sugar that's now making me hallucinate… no, I know I got the normal stuff…." she continued, oblivious to the curious and slightly worried stares she was receiving.

"Little girl? I zhink you need to calm down!" France exclaimed approaching Anna.

"...Or, I could have had a mental break down! I knew I was working too… wait, did you? Just call me, 'little?'" Anna asked slowly, turning a glare towards the Frenchie.

Rule number one: NEVER call Anna short, or little.

"Mais oui, seeing as we don't know what else to call you…" he explained casually, though he did take a step back at the reprimanding glare she threw his way. However, the dark aura starting to manifest dissipated at his statement.

"Oh, right. Well, everyone, my name is Anna, Anna Colins." She introduced herself with a friendly smile. Many of the countries nodded and smiled in return.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Colins, though I'm curious as to how you got here." England replied extending his hand, which Anna took greatfuly.

"That makes two of us. It's not every day a girl winds up in one of her favorite TV shows…" Anna replied with a nervous laugh.

"TV show? What the heru are you tarking about?" Japan asked curiously. Oh that's right, Anna thought, they probably don't know.

"Well, this is going to sound really crazy, but where I come from, you guys are all a TV show, called 'Hetalia.' As in, you are all animated characters…" she said carefully gaging their reactions. Everyone stared at her as if she grew a third eye until America bursted out laughing.

"You're right, that is totally crazy!" he exclaimed causing Anna to sweat drop. Way to make a girl feel awkward…

"It's true though, I mean, haven't you noticed a lot of the random stuff that seems to happen in this world? Like, the weird female voice who narrates your flashbacks and history lessons?" Anna said trying to make a point!

"Hey!" said female voice called out in indignation, causing everyone to look up and around for where it came from.

"Um, sorry?" Anna said not knowing where to look.

"Oh, so that's what the voice does…" Russia wondered out loud.

"And also! Germany, do you remember that one time Italy accidentally ejected himself from your car and he shot off into the distance? And then a random sparkly appeared?" Anna asked looking at Germany. The blond groaned at the memory.

"How could I forget…" he grumbled.

"Yeah, that was really fun! Well, except for being stuck in a tree for thirty minutes." Italy said sheepishly. Anna giggled as she remembered how heartbroken Germany acted. She figured not to bring that up though, he had his pride after all…

"If that happened in my world, Italy wouldn't have gone as high and he probably would have broken a few bones." She explained, smiling guiltily at the frightened 'Ve?!' that escaped Italy's lips.

"Well it seems you certainly know a lot about us, though I can't say I exactly believe you as of yet." England said.

"I don't really expect you to, I hardly believe it myself… wait a minute, are you saying it wasn't your spell that brought me here?" Anna asked remembering the incantation on the parchment. England grew even more confused and shook his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sorry." he apologized. Even after she re-recited the spell he showed no sign of remembering having ever cast such a spell. If England didn't summon her here, who did?

"So, what are you going to do now?" Italy asked. That was a good question. Even though she was beyond thrilled at getting to meet some of her favorite characters in person, there was still a matter of getting back.

"I'm not sure, unless England knows how to send me back?" Anna said looking towards the Englishman hopefully. Unfortunately he blanched at the question.

"Well, it's been decades since I last used magic… I may be a tad out of practice…" he mumbled.

"Dude, you summoned the damn commie instead of the devil, I don't think you were ever in practise!" America said. Russia looked at the two and smiled at the memory.

"Da, that was fun…" he said.

"At least I tried to do something!" England argued

"I thought it was pretty funny…" Anna said giggling to herself. The look on England's face was priceless when Russia appeared! That's when it hit her; she was really, truly in the world of one of her favorite TV shows! Excitement bubbled up inside of her as she started to laugh joyously, causing more confusion among the countries. Russia on the other was intrigued by this young woman who laughed and smiled so easily, he wasn't quite sure why. She was cute though. Very cute...

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy that I'm here meeting you all!" she exclaimed between fits of laughter.

"It's nice to meet you too, you are so very lovely~" Italy said kissing her once on the cheek as an introduction.

"Well, thank you Italy! I hope that we can be friends." Anna replied shaking his hand. Italy nodded excitedly before he was roughly pushed aside by France, who was suddenly surrounded by images of roses.

"Honhon, I bet zhat you and I can be very good friends non?" he implied leaning down to give her a kiss as well. However, Anna noticed that his hand had somehow managed to find it's way to her rump.

Rule Number Two: Touch Anna in any pervy manner, you will lose some teeth.

"KI-YAH!" Anna shouted judo flipping a very surprised Frenchie on his back, stunning the other nations. How could anyone that small be so strong?! Anna Colins: State Judo Champion since the 6th grade.

"TOUCH ME AGAIN YOU PERVEY FROG I'LL BREAK YOUR LEGS!" she yelled angrily pointing at the stunned Frenchman. Zhis girl is crazy, France thought as he groaned in pain. England, Hungary and Spain each held up white cards with a large '10' written on them while some other nations applauded, to which Anna bowed in appreciation. France may be a hilarious and fun character, but he was a bit of a douche.

"Before ve get too distracted, ve should remember that this young voman is now our guest. Tell me, vhere vill you be staying?" Germany asked, stepping in before things blew into another argument. He was quite good at that, and raised an excellent point now that Anna thought about it.

"I'm not sure really…" Anna started to say before America threw his arm around her shoulders, making her 'eep' in surprise.

"At MY house of course! You're an American citizen, and American citizens will stay at my place!" he exclaimed. Anna struggled to get out of his arm.

"Well, actually I'm a dual citizen…" she said.

"Really?! Is that even possible?" America asked in surprise. Anna (and the rest of the countries) suppressed the urge to roll their eyes.

"Yes, when you were born in the UK to an English father and an American mother. Plus, I'm currently studying for my doctorate at Cambridge so…" Anna trailed off.

"Would you rather stay with me then?" England offered. Anna spared a glance to each of the nations, taking an extra moment to glance at Russia before turning away with a slight blush. Now that she was here, she could ask Russia all the questions she wanted, both for her thesis and her own curiosity! However, actually doing so may prove to be more difficult now that it was actually possible, plus England was her best chance at getting home. Besides, why was she blushing? He's an animated character for goodness sakes!

"I would love to, if that's alright." Anna replied.

"Then it's settled! I'll show you to your room shortly, and don't worry about clothes and all, the room will accommodate itself to your tastes. For now, let's enjoy the rest of this gathering." England proclaimed. While Anna was confused over what he meant by that, she decided not to dwell on it. In this show everything was possible.

The rest of the evening Anna went around introducing herself to the other countries, all the while working up the courage to go and speak with Russia. Each of the other countries were anxious to meet her, it wasn't every day that someone from another dimension popped up for a visit. Anna particularly enjoyed speaking with countries like Austria and Hungary, finding they had a lot in common to talk about. Hungary was kind enough to provide a mirror to Anna, who was curious to see if she looked vastly different in the anime world. She was pleased to see that her usually crazy hair now lied in gentle waves just past her shoulders, her fringe swept messily to the side. Her blue eyes were larger and glossier, nose a lot more petite and mouth small like a rose bud. Not to mention, no acne! She could certainly get used to being animated. After that she went on to meet more countries. The three Baltic states were a little skittish given her brief show of strength, but her cheerful and relatively kind demeanor warmed them up to her in the end. They really were quite spineless she concluded, but still very sweet. That is, until they suddenly backed away shivering like leaves in the wind.

"What's gotten into them?" Anna asked herself.

"I've never been able to figure that out either." a heavily accented voice commented from behind her. Anna jumped and turned at the sound to face a curious Russia, who was a lot taller in person now that she thought about it. She was a hobbit compared to him, she thought!

"Oh! You startled me…" she exclaimed feeling her heart rate increase. Here she was, meeting her favorite character, and she had to say that? Idiot, she thought!

"I wanted my turn to meet you, Anya." Russia stated plainly, his customary gentle smile in place as always. Anna blushed at his use of his native version of her name, needless to say it sounded better than she imagined.

"Oh of course! And I quite like that version of my name, feel free to use it if you like. Actually, I just wanted to say, you're my favorite character on this show and I'm super excited to actually meet you in person!" Anna exclaimed smiling brightly, and without even thinking she wrapped her arms around the tall country in a tight hug. Russia froze a moment at the unexpected action, though quickly got over Anna's display of affection when he placed a hand on her shoulder. Though, her earlier statement did confuse him…

"Favorite character…?" he asked. Anna quickly returned to her senses and pulled back from the embrace.

"Oh, well, I suppose I should say this 'universe' rather than show, seeing as it obviously exists in some form of reality… I think Japan is about to have an existential crisis over this." she replied, glancing over at the reserved country. When she went to speak with him he questioned her about this universe being a show, seeing as his country was the birth of anime, and it seemed to disturb him that he himself was a character of his own creation. Now he seemed to be in the emo corner sulking (meditating he claimed) over the issue. She would have to remedy that soon.

"Anyways I ramble. See, I study world history back in my world and it just so happens my focus is Russia… or you… um, well you know what I mean, but I don't mean that in a flattering matter, well I do sort of because I love your culture but….!" Anna stammered trying to voice her thoughts properly. Why the hell was she so nervous? Thankfully, Russia held his hand up stopping her tirade.

"Is alright, I am very flattered da!" he exclaimed happily before reaching down to grab her hand. Anna figured he wanted to shake her hand but was really surprised when instead he pulled her extremely close, closer than what was the standard for personal space, causing her to flush bright red.

"Um…" was the most intelligent thing that come out of her mouth.

"I hope we can become one soon, da?" Russia stated before leaning down to kiss her once on the lips, his customary greeting.

At least that was the intention. The moment their lips touched the pair of them felt a spark pass through the small point of contact. To Russia, it felt like a brief ray of sunshine after months of dark winter. For Anna, a rush of heat and electricity that almost made her shiver, causing her initial shock of Russia's statement over 'becoming one' (despite knowing that was to be expected) to fade from existence. She KNEW that this was just a cultural thing Russians did as a greeting, having read it countless time. Books never prepared you for the real thing though, and she was certain that this was going on a bit longer than normal… not that she really minded. Until a shrill feminine voice screeched, causing the two to separate.

"Big Brother!"


	3. Chapter 3

Anna cringed when she saw a small girl with long blond hair dressed in Lolita fashion come marching up to them, an evil aura surrounding her person. Belarus. This was going to be interesting.

"How dare you go around kissing other girls?! You're going to marry me!" she screeched glaring at poor Russia, who was getting pretty nervous.

"Actually, I never agreed…" he started to say.

"We have to become one big brother! You and I, forever…" Belarus leered, not even paying attention to what her brother was trying to say. Anna took this opportunity to step in.

"Um, I'm not going to say anything about your psycho incestual obession, but he was just saying hello. There's no need to go into a hissy fit." Anna stated coolly stepping between the two siblings. While she did find Belarus's antics to be funny on the show, in person they are just plain creepy. Russia looked at the small girl, who stood a couple inches shorter than his sister, in wonder as she stood up to his scary sibling.

"You shut it, silly half-breed! Don't involve yourself with our affairs!" Belarus shot angrily. Almost immediately the temperature in the room dropped and the lights seemed to dim. All the countries by this point had turned to face the two females and grew nervous when a second, more sinister aura appeared around their new friend.

Rule Number Three: Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER…. call Anna a 'half-breed.' You will die horribly and painfully.

"What… did… you… call me?" Anna growled lowly, her eyes narrowing to dangerous points. Belarus wavered a little bit at Anna's sudden change in demeanor but didn't back down from her challenge.

"No girl will get in between me and my big brother! Especially a little mutt like you!"

Anna just stood there glaring while she let the words sink in. The next minute, Belarus was on the ground out cold, having been punched in the stomach by a precision hit to a vital pressure point. There wasn't much pain but the message was clear; don't call Anna a half-breed.

"Watch your tongue little bitch…" Anna warned before taking a deep breath to calm herself. She hated when her temper got the better of her, but she's been through too much crap to take being branded as something sub-human due to her lineage. Almost immediately she regretted having lost her temper when she saw all the wide stares she was receiving, causing her to flush red with regret and embarrassment.

At least until a very buxom blonde woman embraced her in a bear hug. Ukraine?

"That was so cooool!~ I've never seen anyone stand up to Belarus like that, you are very strong girl, da?" Ukraine said excitedly. The tension being broken, other countries who were also put off by Belarus came up to congratulate her.

"Well, it was nothing really, just one shot to a chi point. She'll be awake pretty soon, with a minor headache… and, I'm sorry if I scared anyone, I know that I can be a little scary when angry." Anna tried to explain modestly.

"Don't fret yourself, we all have our little peeves," England said placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, she was really starting to like this character, "besides, I think you've had a long day."

"Yeah, it has been interesting, being sucked into a wormhole and landing face first on to table." Anna agreed laughing nervously.

"That did not hurt, da?" Russia asked.

"Nah, I've whacked in the head so many times I don't barely feel anything! Oh, sorry about your sister, I hope I didn't offend you…" Anna said looking down at her shoes.

"Is no problem, I know she can be very scary sometimes. I hope we meet again soon Anya!" he replied with a bright smile. While this appeared to unnerve the other nations, Anna returned the smile cheerfully.

"Да, я тоже на это надеюсь!"* she replied, deciding to pull out her Russian for this occasion. This certainly seemed to stun and impress Russia, as well as the other nations, before she turned and left the conference room with England. As they were walking along the hallways towards the guest rooms, England turned to Anna in hopes of starting polite conversation.

"So, you mentioned you were studying at Cambridge?"

"Ah, yes! I'm currently writing my thesis for World History, hopefully I should have my doctorate within the year." Anna replied, smiling proudly.

"I say that is quite remarkable! Why that subject of all things, if you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all! I can't really explain it really, I've just always had an interest in events long since past. Learning about how borders were changed, re-drawn, or renamed entirely, the people behind these great political and social changes, all of it thrills me. My general focus is military and revolutionary history." England looked at her curiously.

"I see, all rather bloody affairs. Some would choose not to remember such things…" he said carefully.

"War is terrible, I agree, though sometimes it is necessary in order to bring peace for future generations, which is why I've chosen a rather… controversial subject for my thesis." Anna said, hoping to not startle the British country.

"Which would be…?"

"The Russian Revolution and why it was necessary for the world to progress…" she said slowly. England stopped in his track for a moment, a slightly creeped out look on his face.

"I see, well, that is certainly an interesting topic, though some may disagree with that idea.." he said nervously.

"Oh I know they will, which is why I chose it. Please don't take any offense to this, but you capitalist countries spend an awful amount of time criticizing Russia's communist past, even though he is now a federation, and fail to see the shortcomings of your economies. Especially America's, but don't tell him I said that. You don't seem to have many problems with China even though he's communist, and you just make fun of North Korea who is also a commie! Why do you have to villainize Russia?" Anna implored. England was stunned at her explanation, as she raised many excellent points. Have he and other countries been giving Russia a little too much flack now that it was the 21st century? Despite his little… oddities and violent nature, Russia could be a pleasant chap if he wanted to.

"Well, it seems you're more well-versed in this subject that I am Miss Colins. I wish you luck on your paper. Here is your room, I hope everything is suited to your tastes." He said stopping in front of an old-fahsioned wooden door with a brass handle.

"Thank you, I really appreciate you letting me stay here." Anna replied gratefully.

"Not at all. I will work on finding a way to send you home, though it may take a while." England said apologetically. Anna just waved him off.

"Don't fret yourself, I'm certainly in no hurry! I can't wait to explore this world and get to know you all. Good night mister England!"

"You can call me Arthur if you like."

"Alright then, call me Anna. Good night Arthur!"

"Good night Anna." and with that he turned and left. Without further delay Anna opened her door to reveal her dream room. The walls were painted a very pale pink with black filigree designs painted on the walls in various vine and flora shapes. Posters of her favorite films, TV shows and paintings lined the wall behind a large oak desk complete with a desktop computer, vintage lamp, and few of her favorite books (both fiction and non fiction) stacked neatly on the side. Two red bean bags sat in front of a flat screen TV and a large black victorian era wardrobe full of her favorite style of clothes stood against the opposite wall. The bed was a large full sized canopy bed with a dark mahogany frame, red cotton sheets decorated with roses and black trim. It was absolutely perfect.

"GERONIMO!" Anna exclaimed running and jumping on to the bed face first, the best way to break in a bed in her opinion. Flipping on to her back to stare at the top of the bed, she pondered over what she could possibly do while she was in this world. Of course, she wanted to know who it was that brought her here in the first place, but that wasn't important. What was important was that she got to meet Russia! Remembering the greeting kiss, Anna covered her face with her hands and squealed despite herself. She hoped that maybe she could get him alone to ask him some questions, and just get to know him better, though she wasn't sure how to go about it. From her observations, Russia got a little funny whenever his past was mentioned (i.e. someone usually almost got brained with a sink pipe) so maybe it would be best to try and become friends for now. Yeah, friends! And along the way, see if she can travel the world in one day, seeing as nothing was impossible in this universe. Her thesis can certainly wait.

"This is going to be fun…" she said to herself, before softly singing 'Winter' to herself. Unbeknownst to her, said Russia was standing just outside her door, having followed her and England when they left the meeting room. He had heard all the two spoke about, feeling a certain spark in his chest that he was unfamiliar with when he heard her speak so passionately in his favor. The revolution, a necessary thing? Even he thought that it was impossible, though listening to her speak made him second guess himself. And now here she was, singing a song that tugged at his heart strings, and he made a promise to himself right then and there.

"Так или иначе, она должна быть рядом со мной..."** he whispered under his breath in his mother tongue. Smiling to himself, he nodded and walked away from her door, Anna none the wiser as she fell asleep with excitement in her veins.

Translation:

*- I hope to see you again too!

** I must have her by my side…. somehow...


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: New chapter! Sorry if things seem to be moving a bit slow, but things are starting to get more interesting here ;)**

Anna woke up to hear birds singing outside her window. Back in her world, whenever she heard the birds outside she would get annoyed. Now, they only brought the promise of excitement and adventure.

"Good morning world and all who enjoy it!" she exclaimed happily as she jumped out of bed. Running to the wardrobe, she quickly pulled out a red plaid skirt, black leggings and a dark blue blouse to wear for the day. Accessorizing included a pair of classic black Doc Martin boots, silver stud earrings, and a simple black necklace with a silver charm in the shape of a flower. Makeup was simple, except for smokey winged eyeliner to accent her large eyes. After managing to tame her hair into a simple low ponytail with a few strands framing her face, Anna went over to her laptop to send an email to the University, her parents, and her closest friends to let them know that she was "travelling for research on her thesis," which technically wasn't a lie. At least she wouldn't have to worry about being reported missing while she was gone.

After finishing up, she left her room and went to find the kitchen, which proved to be more of a daunting task than she realized. She had no idea that England's, or Arthur's, house was this big! Then again, the show never really did show much of what each country's house looked like. Her stomach was certainly protesting all this walking around aimlessly, maybe if she could find someone…?

"Hello ma chèrie!" a cheerful voice called from behind.

Anyone but that.

"Hey there France, how's your back?" Anna asked putting on a smile. To be honest she did like France, when he wasn't being a, and she quotes Hungary here, a douche-sicle, so she felt a little bad for judo flipping the poor guy. But not much.

"It's alright, zhank you for asking! I couldn't help but notice zhat you are looking a bit lost, no?" he asked.

"Actually, I was trying to find the kitchen. I had no idea this house was so big…" Anna replied. France took her by the hand and started leading her down the opposite direction she was heading originally.

"Of course! Just follow me and I'll show you zhe way! I can never resist helping a damsel in distress!" France said joyfully pulling Anna along. While she was slightly wary about letting France touch her, her stomach had bigger priorities. Within a few minutes they arrived at the kitchen, where Arthur, Germany, Japan, China, and a few of the other early rising countries were waiting. Anna's mouth watered at the smell of cooking food.

"Oh, good morning Anna! It's nice to see you bright and early." Arthur greeted.

"My stomach clock couldn't be ignored! What do you have to eat?" Anna asked smelling the air with a happy smile.

"Eggs, sausage, black pudding…" Arthur started to list off.

"Ugh, why must you always insist on making zhat crap?We might as well get more nutrition eating mud." France groaned.

"Well no one asked you to stay here you damn bloody wanker!" England shouted angrily.

"And stay in zhat crap building you english call a luxury hotel? Pah!" France retorted.

"ANYWAY! Is the food almost done? I'm hungry." Anna said stepping in before another argument could take place, it was way too early for that crap.

"Ah, well yes, help yourself. The others should be down shortly." England replied.

"I doubt it, after Italy and America got into the drinking contest, ve be lucky if they vake up any time past noon." Germany commented.

"Ah man, I would have killed to see that!" Anna said while putting some eggs on her plate.

"It was quite a scene I agree. Black pudding?" England asked holding out a plate of the dreaded blood sausage out to her.

"Oh, yes please! I love black pudding!" Anna said holding out her plate. Almost immediately the other countries turned around and looked at her in shock, while England had tears of joy coming out of his eyes.

"What? Some people do actually like this stuff. Besides have you actually tried it?" Anna said, over dramatising taking a bite out of it while watching for their reactions. France ran to the window to barf while Germany and Japan turned ten shades of green. China wasn't that bothered, he's eaten dogs and scorpions before

"She trury is harf British…" Japan muttered in horror while England looked even more pleased. Finally! Someone who wasn't from his homeland who liked his food!

"So anyway, what's on your guys's agenda for the day?" Anna asked while eating her breakfast.

"Ve have to continue with our meeting this afternoon, seeing as we didn't cover anything yesterday…" Germany replied.

"Yeah, hard to conduct business when a pretty girl lands right in front of you on thin air." America said laughing a little. Anna chuckled at that.

"Like you guys actually conduct business usually?" she replied sarcastically. Some countries blushed in embarrassment while others looked at her annoyed.

"Oi, believe it or naught lassie, we do actually get things done!" Scotland declared.

"Oh really? What did you accomplish at the last meeting?" Anna asked smugly. She's watched the show almost religiously, she was certain what the answer was going to be.

Silence.

"My point exactly, you guys spend way too much time dwelling on the past." Anna said.

"Unfortunately, today we have to." England remarked gravely, causing Anna's smile to drop at the sudden serious tone. What did he mean by that?

"Some people have been going missing, each of them playing an important part during the second world war. We know it's not a country because almost each of the G8 have people gone." America replied, his face just as serious. If America was serious then you KNOW things were bad.

"How do you know that they're connected?" Anna asked.

"We're not sure, that's what we're going to discuss. But, that's for later, finish up your breakfast." England said trying to dispel the sour mood. Almost everyone save for Anna, Scotland, Wales and Ireland groaned when he put out more food. It was at this point that different countries started to ask her various questions about her family and interests, which they learned as followed;

Zodiac: Year of the Rat, Gemini

Blood Type: A+

Age: 22

Favorite food: Any kind of beef stew over rice, mashed potatoes or pasta

Least Favorite Food: Anything Mexican….

"QUE? What is wrong with my food?!" Mexico demanded angrily. Anna reeled back and held her hands up.

"Woah now, I just don't find the taste all that appealing, sorry…" she said defensively.

"Well tough girl, it won't be appealing when I crush you shorter than you actually are." he challenged, now in full blown wrestler mode. Anna's eyebrow twitched at the insult, but she noticed that England's table was comprised of long boards lacquered together, and as luck would have it, the one closest to her was loose. She smirked evilly.

"See I highly doubt that." she said nonchalantly. Mexico looked confused.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because you're going to be out cold in a couple seconds." she said before slamming her fist hard on to the loose board, causing the opposite end near Mexico to shoot up and upper cut him in the jaw. He fell to the floor cold, but in doing so ended up tripping England who was carrying a hot tray of tea and he ended up throwing the set up into the air. One lone tea cup came flying towards Anna and in an attempt to catch it leaned back in her chair as she reached for the teacup.

Unfortunately, she leant back too far.

Just as she caught the cup she felt the tell tale signs of falling and flailed slightly in an attempt to regain her balance. Shutting her eyes, she prepared her skull for the tell tale flinch of pain for when she hit the floor.

Which never came.

Instead, she found herself suspended just above the floor and when she opened her eyes she saw the upside down face of a very concerned Russian staring down at her. If her heart wasn't beating fast from her almost fall, it was beating fast now.

"You okay, da?" he asked her worriedly. She nodded lamely before she found her voice.

"Da, I mean yes, thank you. Nice catch." she said quietly with a small smile. Russia smiled in return before helping her sit straight up. As soon as he did however, she ran over to England who was crying over his spilled tea. While she helped him clean up, Russia watched her with a slight twang of jealousy in his heart. He just saved her from probably injuring herself, why was she fawning over England? Meanwhile Anna was apologizing profusely over her poor behavior and for causing England to trip.

"It's quite alright, Mexico is a bit of a hot head." England replied.

"Si, even I had trouble controlling him when he under my rule." Spain said in agreement.

"Yeah, but usually I'm so good about controlling my temper, I've never acted out like this back in my world…" Anna said sadly.

"Perhaps it's the change in environment? The journey might have upset your emotional balance a tad." England suggested. It sounded fairly logical.

"That may be true, prus, if this world is an… anime, then your emotions and expressions may be exaggerated to match the styru…" Japan said, shuddering when he got the words out. He still wasn't taking this very well it seems.

"Maybe, I appreciate you guys being so understanding. And I do apologize Japan, I had no idea this would affect you like that." Anna said bowing in respect to the polite nation. Japan returned her bow and nodded, though he still looked a bit uneasy.

"Perhaps a walk in the garden will straighten your head a bit? We do need to get ready for the meeting soon, and unfortunately only countries allowed." England suggested. While she was saddened over not being able to sit in on a conference in Hetalia, what England said made sense. So, she excused herself just as a zombified looking America shuffled into the kitchen followed by a drowsy Italy 've-ing' sleepily. She laughed as Germany began his characteristic scolding of Italy's poor habits and smiled to herself as the commotion in the kitchen faded with distance.

It didn't take her as long to find the back yard, and when she stepped into the garden she was mesmerized. All around her were roses, every color and size imaginable. The wall of scent flooded her senses and almost instantly her heavy heart lept towards the sky. A little pathway entered into the mass of roses and it didn't take her long to figure out that it was a maze. Perhaps a little problem solving was all she needed? With a joyous and excited laugh Anna ran into the maze, going with the right by right by right theory in order to make it to the center, doubling back only when she came across a dead end. As she delved deeper and deeper into the maze the rose bushes got taller until they towered over her, completely concealing her from normal eyes. Ever since she was little Anna has had an affinity for flowers, roses being her favorite seeing as they were both beautiful and dangerous to the unwary. She wished she could be more like that in reality…

As that thought hit her, she slowed into a gentle walk. She was not ashamed to admit that she had a dangerous streak, even before she was brought into this world. Often times, her parents questioned whether she was bipolar and tried to convince her therapist that it was so. However, each time the doctor said she didn't have enough symptoms given her high aptitude in her studies, saying instead it was more along the lines of repressed emotions in an effort to belong. She started martial arts as a way to help manage her emotions. Maybe now that she was surrounded by such wacky people, her emotions were all pouring out? Before she could figure it out she looked up to see that she had made it to the middle of the maze.

Rather than a statue or marker of some sort to show that this was the goal of the maze, instead she found a pond with a small fountain in the middle shaped like a leaping fish. All around the edges of the pond was a wild group of… sunflowers? More like dwarf sunflowers, though she had no idea that they bloomed at the same time as roses. Walking over to the patch, she saw a nice little patch of grass where no flowers grew that was large enough for her to sit on without crushing any of the blooms. As she sat down, all her bad feelings went away as she took in the beauty of her surroundings; flowers everywhere, birds singing, sun shining in the ever rainy England, it was pure perfection. Though, in her perfect fantasy, there were the faintest traces of snow outlining the edges of these flowers…

It was at she was daydreaming among the sunflowers that Russia found her. To him, in that moment, she looked like the most beautiful thing in the world, bathed in sunshine and surrounded by flowers… could he really drag such a precious creature into the cold darkness of winter with him? For the first time in his life, he wasn't so sure. All of his bosses told him to take what he wanted, when he wanted, using force if necessary. But Anna? He wouldn't be able to muster enough force to crush even a single hair on her head. Just as he started to turn away, Anna opened her eyes and saw him standing there.

"Oh Russia! Hello there, I didn't hear you coming! Come over here!" she said motioning over with a bright smile. Though Russia was surprised, he couldn't really say no, so he slowly approached where Anna was sitting and took a seat right next to her.

"Is a lovely day, da?" he asked hesitantly. Anna nodded.

"Indeed! Haven't you got a meeting to go to though?" Anna asked. Russia nodded.

"Da, but that is not till later. Germany is trying to get Italy to eat England's breakfast." he replied. Anna giggled, picturing the scene perfectly in her head.

"Oh dear, I don't know who I feel sorry for more, Germany or Italy!"

"England's food is crap."

"Well, I am half british so I don't think so, but I do understand where you guys are coming from. So, what brings you out here?" Anna asked.

"I was looking for you." Russia replied bluntly, his smile back in place. Anna was startled by such a forward statement but was not in the least bit creeped out.

"Oh really? What for?"

"I wanted to speak with you."

"About what?"

"Well, you wanted to know more about the revolution, da?" he said, more as a statement than a question. Oh, so he heard that conversation… awkward…

"Oh! Well, yes I do… but actually, I'd rather know more about you." Anna replied softly, not looking him in the eye. Russia looked at her in confusion.

"But you're historian, da? Don't you already know?" he asked.

"No no no, not the country, you. This person, right here next to me. I want to know more about YOU." Anna said, pointing at Russia's face for emphasis. Russia was taken aback by this, he was used to people being afraid due to his dark past. Not that he really minded, in some twisted way he found pleasure with people shivering in his presence. But this girl, this young woman, was something else. Luckily, Anna seemed to catch on to his confusion. She's seen the show and other people's reaction, heck this morning she could feel his cold stare on her back when she was helping England.

"Here, let's make this easier and play a little game. It's called the question game, basically we ask each other questions, any kind of question, that helps the other person get to know each other better. Sound good? You can start if you like!" Anna said happily. Russia wasn't quite sure how it was a game, but he was willing to try.

"What is your favorite color?" he asked after a moment. Better to start with something simple. Anna looked at a rose bush of scarlet carsons.

"Red, and yours?" Anna replied. Russia looked down at the flowers by their feet and gently caressed one of the petals.

"Yellow. Is it my turn again?" Russia asked. Anna shook her head.

"No, we have to answer our own question as well. Alright, what kind of music do you like?" Anna asked. Russia pondered this for a moment.

"I like the music in ballets..." He said carefully. This did surprise Anna, though to be honest she should have guessed.

"Oh really? I would love to see a ballet, a real ballet one day! I like a lot of different kinds, although my absolute favorite is symphonic metal, which is like the lovechild of rock and classical." Anna said with a wink.

"I'll show you ballet one day, would you like that?" Russia asked. It was worth being gentlemanly in order to see Anna's eyes light up.

"Really? That would be amazing! Thank you Russia!" She exclaimed taking a sunflower and placing it behind his ear. Before her very eyes, she saw the faintest if blushes! Russia was blushing! She remembered how much he loved sunflowers, and to be honest they really did suit him. He may have been handsome before, but here, he was gorgeous. Wait, did she really think that? And why could she hear her voice when she wasn't speaking?

Oh right, inner monologue... Cool.

"Ivan. You call me Ivan." He said turning his head away shyly.

"Ivan... I like that name. Alright, Ivan it is!" Anna said happily. All of the sudden the voice of America calling for Russia sounded.

"Stupid American..." He mumbled while getting up with Anna following.

"You should try living with them, it's even worse. Come on, you got a meeting to go to. We can finish our game later!" Anna said taking Ivan along by the hand. Ivan looked down at their conjoined hands and smiled; he wanted to be always holding her hand. Unconsciously he gave her hand a little squeeze as they walked out of the maze to a confused and impatient America.

His heart soared when she squeezed his hand back.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Boy, working out some of these details made my head hurt, but it was fun! The details about the message are made up, the code itself and other historical details are not. New chapter for y'all ;) Also, I've been getting lovely reviews from you folks, keep them coming as they're greatly appreciated! Much love!**

By the time America and Russia made it back to the conference room, after dropping Anna off at her room, everyone else was in their seats waiting to begin. Usually by this point Italy would have started taking a nap and France and England would be at each other's throats, but everyone was alert and serious. As America and Russia took their seats, Germany rose and cleared his throat.

"Vell, I'm sure you're all avhere vhat ve're here to discuss. As of today, there are as much as 128 people missing from at least twenty different countries, each having some matter of involvement with Vorld Var Two. This morning, ve received an anonymous note from who ve believe to be the persons responsible. However, it appears to be complete gibberish, just a bunch of random numbers and words." he said clicking a button that turned on a projector. On the screen at the other end of the table showed the note in question. Indeed, at first glance it seemed to be complete nonsense, the only intelligible words were 'Sinbad,' 'Vampa,' and 'Mercedes.'

"Perhaps it's some sort of code? Those words at the end could be key phrases in some sort of cipher, but I have no idea what those other numbers could be." England suggested.

"I thought so too, and I figured that it may be a book cipher based on all the numbers grouped in threes, but the letters and numbers at the end threw me off." Germany said. All the countries mulled in their heads over what possible kind of cipher it could be, unless it was a new one never before seen?

"It's multiple ciphers in one!" A voice said from above. Everyone looked up to the ventilation shaft which ran over the conference table to see a female face staring down at them. Anna.

"Dude, Anna what are you doing up there?! America asked loudly. With a little struggle, Anna managed to remove the grating of the vent and popped her head down with a wide smile.

"I got bored!"

FLASH BACK (30 minutes ago)

After Russia and America left her in her room, Anna was at a loss of what to do. Every country would be in this important meeting, and to be honest she didn't really want to go exploring the world outside without someone to go with her. How lame would that be? Flopping down on her bed she wondered if she could possibly find a library or some place to pass the time, and seeing as she had nothing better to do, she sighed and went off to find something to do until the meeting was over.

"I really wish I could sit in on this meeting, though it looked like things were pretty serious this time." she said to herself with a sigh.

*20 minutes of aimless montage walking later*

"Okay, so the clock says it's been 20 minutes but I feel that I've been walking around for only a few seconds… Did I just montage around this house? How can I do that so I can write my thesis in record time?" Anna asked herself. All of the sudden she could hear Germany's voice come from somewhere to her right. A ventilation duct! It was quite faint and echoey, but the thick accent was unmistakable. Surprisingly, he was not yelling (yet) so it would seem everyone was behaving themselves for the moment. Suddenly, she got an idea.

"So maybe I can't sit in, no one said I couldn't look in!" she thought mischievously. Removing the air grate, she saw to her joy that the vent was large enough for her to crawl through on her hands and knees. After carefully replacing the grate behind her in order to prevent any suspicion, Anna starting crawling towards the sound of Germany's voice. Time to Mission Impossible this bitch!

*5 minutes of MI themed montage crawling later*

"Okay seriously, is this how everyone travels from country to country so fast? And isn't that theme copyrighted or something?" Anna whispered to herself as she approached a vent with a dim light shining up through it. She was covered in grime from when she had to vertically shimmy her way up a shaft, and frankly she was tired of moving. Germany's voice was crystal clear through the vent, telling her this was the right place.

Looking down she saw the code sheet on the projector and immediately knew something was up. A quick count showed that the numbers almost grouped together completely in threes save for the last few which had a few letters placed in. It when she looked at the three words in the corner that it clicked! For her course, she took a semester studying cryptology used in both WWI and WWII, and she recognized the pattern between the perfectly grouped numbers and the random letters paired with the three key words.

(BACK TO PRESENT)

"Vhat the hell are you doing here? This is a private conference!" Germany said angrily as Anna lept down from the vent on to the table.

"I know, but it looked like you guys were stumped so I decided to… drop in as it were!" she replied with a wink.

"Well, feel free to drop out any time, we don't need any help from a complete stranger!" Romano said grumpily. Anna turned to give a retort but her gaze fell on something else while Italy reprimanded his older brother for being so rude to their friends.

Their curls….

As a true Hetalia fan, Anna always wondered what was it about Italy and Romano's hair curls that made them so sensitive. There were many fan theories out there, some more credible than others, but she had the opportunity to find out for herself. Rather than dwell about it, she walked over to the two brothers and knelt in front of them, a pondering look on her face.

"Tell me signore Romano, did you recognize this as a book cipher using _The Count of Monte Cristo_ as it's source, possibly hiding information for a WWI German ADFGVX code?" she asked. Romano balked and looked away grumbling while Germany looked over the sheet once more frantically. She vas right! How could he not recognize it, he thought to himself.

"Whatever…." Romano muttered.

"Also, do you two mind if I do this?" she asked suddenly. Before either brother could ask what she meant she reached up with both hands to slightly tweak each of their curls. The result was instantaneous.

"CHIGI!" Romano yelled falling back in his chair while Italy stiffened and froze perfectly still, a whimper escaping his lips. A quick glance downstairs proved one of her favorite theories; the curls were erogenous zones!

"I KNEW it!" she yelled in triumph smirking proudly. Romano got up with a beet red face, unknowingly making Spain who was seated a few people down, blush cutely.

"You sadistic bitch!" he yelled crawling up to the table to go beat some sense, at least until Italy pulled him back down and restrained him. Ignoring the comment, though strangely pleased that she elicited such a funny reaction from the brothers earning her a 'Romano brand' nick name, Anna lept off from the table and approached France.

"Mr. France, do you happen to have a copy of _Monte Cristo_ with you?" she asked politely. France nodded.

"Mais oui! Here you go." he replied handing her the book, though she was curious about where he pulled it out from. Weird anime worlds and their 'magic pocket' ability…

"Alright, so if my theory is correct…" Anna said muttering to herself while she grabbed a pen and paper from the conference table. All the countries watched as she flipped through various pages, writing down seemingly random letters that alternated between a, d, f, g, v, or x, until she managed to get through all of the numbers that were grouped in threes.

"Well, that is all well and good, but don't you need a key phrase in order to figure out the order of the original encryption?" England interjected. Anna nodded.

"Yes, and we have three words to choose from…. the question is which, depending on what the people responsible are trying to tell us. 'Sinbad' was the main character's alias during his time as a smuggler, a name commonly associated with the _Thousand and One Nights._ 'Vampa' is the surname of the leader of Italian thieves in the novel, an accomplice in the Count's quest for revenge. And finally, 'Mercedes,' the name of the woman the Count loved before his imprisonment." Anna reasoned, deep in thought.

"Ve should count out 'Mercedes,' keyphrases usually wouldn't have so many repeating letters." Germany said. Anna nodded in agreement.

"Considering that it's a bunch of old timers being kidnaped, wouldn't Vampa be the key since it signifies revenge and all?" America suggested.

"Unless that's what they want us to think, the meaning is too obvious." England interjected.

"Indeed, plus Sinbad is the main character's first appearance after escaping prison and finding the treasure. If this note is them making themselves known, then Sinbad must be the key. So, if I rearrange the letters into alphabetical order…" and she did just that, turning the word to ABDINS, "then arrange the letters in columns like this…" creating a table that looked like this;

S

X

D

F

F

"Crap, I always forget what to do after this…" Anna muttered. Germany walked over at this point to where she was sitting.

"You need to re-arrange the columns into their original order, like this." he said taking a pen and re-writing the table to resemble;

D

X FG A D F

D AD V F V

F XX G F X

F XD A A D

"Oh right! Thank you! And now, just to pair them off then you have the table codes!"

XF GA DF DA DV FV FX XG FX FX XG FX FX DA AD. Looking at the letter pairs, a lightbulb went off in Germany's head.

"I know this code, it was one of the first messages during 1917. It translates to 'A Traveller is Key'" he said. Anna and the other countries, save for Italy who dozed off and America who was picking at his fingernails much to the disgust of England, looked at the blonde in confusion.

"And that means what potato bastard? All this spy shit is just getting us nowhere!" Romano shouted angrily. His patience was already worn thin after Anna's little stunt.

"Not quite, this message has a hidden meaning, used to alert a certain party of an important arrival via train, along with significant funds they needed to commence their plan…" Germany said gravely. All the clues clicked in Anna and Russia's head.

"Lenin…" Russia said softly. Germany nodded. Anna remembered this crucial detail from her research, without support from Germany, Vladimir Lenin would have never made it back to Russia to coordinate with a then young Joseph Stalin on the final stages of their plan.

"So, now what? Are they saying someone is about to orchestrate another revolution? If so, where? And against whom?" Anna asked. Now that was the golden question as everyone fell silent.

*Scene change*

After the message had been decoded, all the countries agreed to separate and do some individual sleuthing in their respective homes. Despite protests, Anna insisted that she be allowed to go travel and see the world while she can, in spite of any danger that there'd be. In her mind, she wasn't really part of this universe, so she wasn't sure how these enemies would harm her. It didn't mean she wouldn't want to help where she could, her code breaking skills proved that. Later that evening after she changed into a pair of pjs for bed, she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" she called out while brushing her hair.

"It's me." Russia's voice called from the other side. Breath catching, Anna quickly adjusted her hair as best she could before running over to open the door.

"Hey there!" she greeted smiling. Russia smiled gently.

"Hello."

"So, you're all leaving tomorrow then?" Anna asked somewhat sadly. Russia nodded once.

"Da, we all are. I'm sad that we can't finish our game." he said, smile faltering slightly.

"Don't be silly! I'll come visit you for sure, we can finish then!" she declared. Russia was slightly surprised that this girl wanted to visit his homeland so eagerly, but he wasn't going to object.

"Okay, until then." he confirmed. Anna nodded in response.

"Until then." she repeated. They bade each other good night before Russia left, Anna closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, a curious England (having kept his distance in fear of the larger country) watched all this take place.

"Extraordinary… that girl is something else entirely. I sure hope she finds happiness, she's quite like a sister I never had." he said to himself. He only hoped that her apparent growing closeness with Russia and these strange goings on wouldn't end in disaster. Or death. Or both.

 **AN: Okay, idk what is up with FF but for some reason it's keeping me from writing the full code on here. Research the ADGFVX code on wiki and you'll see what it's supposed to look like :P Sorry!**


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Anna spent most of it locked in her room planning her world tour. She packed a large suitcase with most of her new wardrobe and other essentials, and drew out each journey between her key destinations, hoping to stop by as many places as possible. Arthur was kind enough to give her the contact the details for each of the countries she was visiting, ensuring that she had a place to stay wherever she went. Her general plan was to basically travel in an eastward direction, stopping at France only for lunch under the eiffel tower (and to avoid having to press sexuall harasment charges), before continuing on to Germany where she would spend the night then head down to Italy's house for a couple days. After that, she would take a train to the Baltics and meet specifically with Lithuania for a day. Her Nan was from there and she would like to see it before travelling on to spend the night with Ukraine then on to Russia for an entire week.

She was most excited to finally see the country of her dreams, every time she the thought crossed her mind she would burst into _Journey to the Past_ from _Anastasia,_ much to the confused expressions on passerby's faces. Of course, she was excited that Ivan said that he would give her a personal tour as well as answer any questions she may have. The thought of having a one and one conversation without any interruptions enthralled her, on a professional level of course! At least that's what she told herself. Arthur had been busy lately trying to find clues over who sent the message and what it could mean, but he was able to take time to see her off when it was time for her to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want someone to go with you?" he asked for the upteenth time that morning.

"England, I think this is the only time I've ever seen you want to go into France except for D-Day," Anna said jokingly, causing Arthur to balk in horror, "but no thanks. I've made this journey plenty of times on my own back in my world. You worry too much like my friend Kaitlyn, she's a fussy britches too!'

"I'm not fussy!" Arthur argued. Anna threw back her head and laughed.

"That's what she says too! You would get along very well I think. Besides, I'm just joking." Anna said playfully punching Arthur's shoulder. He blushed bashfully before wishing her a safe journey to France… and promising that if the pervy frog tried anything he'd beat him into a pulp himself. Anna thanked him for his hospitality and promised to keep in touch before boarding the train that would take her to France.

Surprisingly, her day didn't leap into montage mode at that time and she was given the opportunity to dwell on some of her thoughts as the underwater tunnel engulfed the train. As a personal guest of a Nation, Anna was given the star treatment plus an unlimited credit to buy whatever she needed. She made a note to get something for England for when she returned, obviously not something from France, and something for Russia when she arrived seeing as she was staying there the longest. Blame her British upbringing for making sure that she was polite wherever she went. As the train zoomed on she drifted up to sleep, might as well take a nap while I can, she reasoned.

…

It was dark, and very cold. Every time she took a step it echoed emptily off the walls. It looked like she was in a bunker of some sort? Anna didn't know nor care, call she could care about was running. Her heart burned in her chest and her breathing was heavy, even when each of her muscles screamed in agony she did not stop. She had to get away, had to find a way out!

"There she is, after her!" a loud voice called from behind her. She didn't stop to see who it was, to stop meant death! How did she know that though? All of the sudden she turned the corner and ran into a wall, sprawling on to the ground with a cry of fear. The wall moved.

"Come with me, подсолнечник*…" that voice! She looked up to see Russia, or Ivan rather, standing over her with an outstretched hand and her heart nearly leapt with joy. He even called her a cute nickname! Until she saw his eyes.

They were no longer a soft violet, but icy blue. Russia's eyes weren't blue! And that look, it wasn't kind or welcoming… in fact it was positively dangerous.

"You're, you're not Ivan… stay away from me…." she said fearfully crawling backwards away from him. Not-russia smiled cruelly and advanced towards her slowly.

"It's me or them подсолнечник, and I can protect you… you have to choose…" he said cryptically. Somewhere in her subconscious she trembled at whoever "they" were, but the man in front of her now seemed like less of a better choice. In a fit of instinct, she got up and ran as far away from him as she could, before a bright green light filled her sight and she woke up in a cold sweat.

"Mademoiselle? Are you alright?" a french accented voice asked worriedly. She looked up to see an older looking man with a brown mustache looking down at her. Judging by his uniform he must be a train officer.

"Ah, yes, I'm alright… just a bad dream that's all…." she said forcing a smile. She retrieved her bag from the luggage compartment and with guidance from the officer made it out of the station and into the fresh Parisian air. The smell of fresh bread perfumed the air and she could swear that she could hear an accordion playing somewhere. Whether or not it was diegetic or nondiegetic sound, had yet to be confirmed.

"Ah, ma chèrie! I see zhat you have made it safely, honhon!" the sing song voice of France called out. Anna turned to see the blonde run up to her waving, roses surrounding the air around him. Typical, but a welcome sight after that horrible dream. Woah, never thought she'd think that aloud. Okay thought voice, shut up!

"Hey there France. So! Where are you taking me to eat? I'm starving!" Anna said clutching her stomach, which in a sense of timing decided to growl loudly.

"Mais oui! I have zhe parfait place in mind! Follow me!" he declared grabbing her by the hand and pulling her through the streets of Paris. He ordered one of his friends to hold on to her bag for her while they walked and she shivered at some of the odd stares she was receiving, especially from the girls. I guess every girl dreamed of having a day out with the living personification of France himself, she thought trying to avoid eye contact. Was it going to be like this at every country? Probably in Italy, seeing as both brothers were quite the charmers. Germany not so much, and the Baltics are hardly likely. Ukraine was a girl so she was safe there, and Russia… well there better not be any girls fawning over him…

"Um, Mademoiselle Colins? Are you alright?" France asked suddenly, pulling Anna from her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yes! Sorry, did you say something?"

"Non, but you were making a scary face…"

"Oh…. sorry, just had a bad dream on my way over here." she said too quickly. France raised a concerned eyebrow at this.

"Oh hon? Do tell?" he asked. Anna proceeded to tell him the details of her dream, watching as France's expression shifted from curious to concerned.

"A green light you say…" he said after she finished.

"Does that mean something to you?" Anna asked.

"Some of zhe micronations have been spouting similar zhings since before you got here, claiming to see a bright green light at zhe end of zheir dreams. Up until now zhough, we did not pay much attention to it." he explained. So Sealand, Wy, and Seborga have had the same dream?

"However, I don't find zhe fact that you dreamed of a scary Russia all zhat surprising…" France continued. Anna immediately went into her lengthy tirade over the "unjust constant villainization of Russia" which this time fell on deaf ears as she was pulled into a quaint little parisian cafe. Unknown to the duo, a malicious pair of eyes was watching their every move.

"She's with the frog, do we take her now?" he whispered into an earpiece.

"No. We wait until she has reached the rendezvous point as planned. It is essential that she become in tuned just enough to this world in order for everything to work. Keep an eye on them." a deep distorted voice said through the piece.

"Roger that." the man responded.

…

After enjoying a particularly lovely lunch consisting of a savory crèpe followed by a croissant, France saw her off at the train station. However, he made the mistake of giving her genuine French roast coffee with her meal.

Rule number four: Give Anna coffee or alcohol at your own risk; you may regret the results.

"...and furthermore, what I don't understand is why people get in wars over being Protestant or Catholic! In my opinion it's a silly reason because they both believe in Jesus and worship a cross and read the same text, it's like two siblings fighting over what's the best thing to wear on certain days! And don't even get me started on Islam vs. Christianity, they're seriously…." Anna rambled on in a hyperactive manner. France walked next to her with an awkward expression on his face.

"Remind me never to give zhis girl coffee…" France muttered to himself. Unfortunately Anna heard him.

"Why not? I LOOOOOOVE coffee, though for some reason none of my friends want me to have any, why I have no idea. My friend Beatrice, though we call her Tris, actually physically restrained me from having a cup one day! Crazy right? Though apparently I'm worse on alcohol…" she ranted, going through many emotions at once. France made a note to contact Italy and Germany and warn them about her strange reaction to caffeine and alcohol. A few moments later, they arrived at the platform.

"I do hope zhat you come back and visit, or feel free to stay when you get bored of England." France said. Anna laughed.

"I will be sure to visit again. Thanks for lunch!" she replied getting on the train with a wave. As soon as she got her bag situation and sat down, the train pulled out of the platform and went on it's way towards Munich. Whether or not it was the caffeine buzz or her general excitement, the scene shifted to her pulling into the Munich station, where Germany and an excited Italy waited for her on the platform. As she got off, Italy latched on to her in a big hug.

"Yay! You got here on time, I was so excited when I heard you were coming over. We're going to have so much fun!" Italy exclaimed squeezing her affectionately. While she was touched by the gesture, it was getting hard to breathe.

"Italy… air…" she choked out before Germany literally pulled him off her.

"Calm down! How vas your journey?" Germany asked after reprimanding Italy.

"It was great! I'm certainly ready to relax now, though I'm still a bit on a caffeine buzz so I'd love to look around if that's alright!" Anna replied happily.

"Yes, France did tell me that you had coffee this morning…" Germany said warily. She SEEMED normal enough, just slightly more crazed than normal.

"It was fantastic! Though, now that I'm here in Hetalia I have to try the original stuff from Turkey!" She said starting to walk away.

"Hetalia?" both countries asked in confusion. Oh that's right, she never told the countries the name of this show they were a part of!

"Oh, that's what the people back home call this world." she said, carefully choosing her words as to not send another character into an existential crisis.

"Vhat does it mean?" Germany asked. Anna sweat dropped.

"Well, it's a play on the Japanese words for 'Italy' and 'useless' or 'pathetic,' so, it technically means… 'useless Italy?'" she replied slowly, gauging said country's reaction. Italy slumped over, a dark cloud of depression suddenly appearing over his head.

"Veeeeee…..?" he said sadly. Immediately Anna rushed over and gave him a huge hug.

"Don't worry! I know a lot of people who love you Italy, my friend Tris's sister Kimberly practically worships you! Don't be sad!" she comforted. Italy did perk up at that and instantly started to drag her off who knows where, spouting of rapid sentences about how great German food was despite how scary the people looked while Germany watched poor Anna try to pry herself out of his grip. How was he so strong?

"Hey, vait for me!" Germany shouted, pulling Anna's bag behind him. Did she pack her whole wardrobe in this thing? The rest of the day, the pair took Anna on a tour of the city; she almost filled up all the storage space on her iPhone taking pictures of the National theater, the National Bavarian museum the _Golden Friedensengel,_ and surprisingly, baked pastries.

"My friend Tris is a baker," she explained when they asked why, "and she's absolutely in love with German pastries and baked goods. In fact it's her dream to open a bakery here one day. She can be a real Nazi in the kitchen though… oh, no offense!"

"None taken…" Germany grumbled.

"I wish my friends could be here, you guys would love them! There's four of us see, we call ourselves the 'Mad Foursome.' There's me, the 'historian,' Tris, the 'patissiere,' Kaitlyn, the 'linguist,' and finally Kimberley, 'the artist.' All four of us watched this show together religiously." Anna said smiling proudly. She did miss her friends, she couldn't wait to tell them of her adventures, if they believed her that is.

"Aren't you going to stay here Anna?" Italy asked. This question caught her off guard.

"Stay? Here? Well, I'd love to, but I have a home back where I'm from, family, friends, my work…. I couldn't just leave it all behind! Don't get me wrong, I love you guys, but… I don't really belong in a TV show…" Anna said sadly. This appeared to sadden Italy while Germany said nothing. Now that the subject was raised, how much longer can she stay in this world? When can she go home? Sensing the drop in mood, Germany decided to take them to his house to retire for the day, where they had a combined dinner of pasta and German sausages in a red pesto sauce. Anna's tastebuds were in heaven as she recounted some of her and her friends escapades back in her world. Italy took a keen interest in Kimberley while Germany discreetly (not really) asked more questions about Tris.

Rule number four: Anna is very defensive of her friends to date them you need pre-approval no questions asked.

Thankfully, seeing as they were not in the world of Hetalia, Anna didn't go into an overprotective frenzy. You're going to have to wait for the sequel for that.

"Okay, doesn't that sugar sweet female voice narrating everything creep you out a bit?" Anna asked looking up.

"Yeah, it's really freaky~" Italy agreed.

"Hey, I'm just doing my job!" the voice protested.

"Proceed…" Germany said nervously.

Humph, they don't pay me enough to do this…

"If it's any consolation, my friends and I find your comedic timing to be flawless." Anna offered.

Thank you!

"Anyvay, perhaps you should turn in for the night, you have a long day tomorrow." Germany suggested. Now that he mentioned, she was exhausted now that the caffeine had finally worn off.

"Yeah, you're right. Don't want to miss my train." Anna said with a yawn.

"But you're not taking the train, silly Anna!" Italy said loudly.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"I drove here, you're just going to ride with me!" he replied excitedly. Anna blanched.

"You mean… in a car? With you…?" she asked nervously, visibly shaking in her chair. Italy nodded.

"Si! It will be much faster!"

"Ve did not agree to this!" Germany protested.

"Aw, but Germany! It will be much faster than a rattling train!"

"At then our guest will have a chance to surviving!"

"I'll be okay just taking a train…" Anna said trying to placate the two while trying not to tremble at the idea of being in a car with Italy.

"Awww, but don't you want to spend more time with meee?" Italy whined. Anna cursed her inability to resist cute things, especially when they're surrounded by flowers and sparkles!

"Well I do…"

"Then you drive with me!"

"...okay…" Anna relented, sending a silent prayer to whatever deity may be listening. Being agnostic, she never prayed unless her life depended on it. Which, it may just so come tomorrow morning.

Translation: * Sunflower

 **AN: Who is this mysterious stranger? Hehehe xD And yes, there will be a couple sequels for this story, and I've name dropped a few choices for the next main character! Got any opinions for pairings? Let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Lucky number chapter 7! Things are moving along now. I'm just now noticing how much I seem to be chipping at if not breaking the fourth wall in this fic, I guess I must be related to Deadpool. JK, hate mexican food (please don't kill me xD ) I'm going to be starting classes soon so I may not be updating as quickly as I would like, but I will do my very best! Onwards!**

That night, before Anna went to sleep, she decided to take out her laptop and see what was going on in her world. Almost immediately she received a request to chat in a group Skype message with the rest of the Foursome. How could she saw no?

"Hey hey hey! How's our world traveller?" Beatrice, or Tris asked. She was the tallest of their group, with long blonde hair that was slightly wavy, usually worn in a ponytail. She had bright blue eyes and a petite mouth, though despite her sweet disposition and charming look, she could be a real bitch when angry!

"She's doing great! How about y'all?" Anna asked.

"We're doing great, I got promoted last…. wait a minute, since when did Skype have video filters?" Kaitlyn, a small girl with dark brown hair tied in a braid, green eyes and Gothic sense of style asked. Anna realized that she probably looked different! How was she going to explain this?

"Um, it doesn't really…." she started to say.

"You look like Hetalia: Beautiful world art style!" Kimberly, Tris's younger sister with similar features but more of a button nose and rounder face, exclaimed.

"Well, the reason is that… I'm not exactly traveling in the traditional sense."

"What do you mean?" Kaitlyn asked.

"This is going to sound crazy, but would you guys be willing to believe I got transported to the world of Hetalia and now I'm going on a world tour?" Anna asked. The answer she got was three blank stares. Even gullible but sweet Kimberly.

"Um, well that sounds like a cool FanFiction idea Anna…" Tris said after a moment of silence. Anna silently agreed, this all did sound like a FanFiction prompt she might have read somewhere.

"Maybe, but it's the truth…"

"Okay, I know this group is kinda famous for being the crazy ones, but that's a bit crazy even for you Annie…" Kaitlyn said.

Rule number six: Annie? Really? Good grief…

"Woah! Where did that voice come from?" Tris asked loudly.

"It's sounds like Hetalia narrator voice!" Kimberly exclaimed getting excited.

"That's because it is! And to answer your question Tris, I'm still trying to figure that one out…" Anna said looking around.

"Ve, Anna? Who are you talking to?" Italy's voice called from outside her door. What better way to convince them, than show them the main character? Anna thought this with a sly grin.

"Who was that? And why do you have your Russia smile on?" Kaitlyn asked raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"I'm talking to my friends on Skype! Come inside and meet them!" she called out. Italy popped into room right next to Anna, causing her to jump and almost drop her laptop.

"Ciao! I'm Italy! It's a pleasure to meet you three, very lovely, ladies!" Italy said turning the charm up to a ten. Anna giggled when she saw all three of her friend's faces drop. If they were animated, all of their eyes would be bug eyed and probably plain white.

"That's…"

"You're actually…"

"How…?"

"Oh my god, it's Italy!" Kimberly's fangirl screech then subsequent faint broke the confusion.

"Kimberly? Hun? Tris, can you go check on her?" Anna said. Tris nodded then left her computer only to reappear in Kimberly's window. Why didn't they use the same computer? Anna thought shaking her head. Italy looked a little confused.

"Um, is she okay?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Oh yes, she's a tad melodramatic so this is normal. I told you she worshiped you!" she replied, oblivious to the small blush that graced Italy's cheeks. He even opened his eyes for a brief moment as Tris tried to shake her sister awake.

"Kim, KIMMIE! Good grief…" she said taking a glass of water and dumping the contents on her sister's head. Kimberly woke up sputtering and coughing.

"What the hell did ya do that for?!" she whined.

"It's your own damn fault for acting like a wuss!" Tris scolded.

"I'm not a wuss!"

"Who faints at the sight of an animated character?"

"Actually, we probably shouldn't call them characters guys. Japan is already having a major crisis over this, don't want to send anyone else down that dark path." Anna said, cutting into the argument making sure Italy wasn't offended by the comment.

"Yeah, that makes sense. So, you met Japan as well? Who else did you meet?" Kaitlyn asked getting excited. The two siblings stopped arguing as Anna explained how she got here, who she met, who she already beat up for breaking the Rules, and how it seemed that this world was in danger from some mysterious group.

"Oh and guys! Watch this!" Anna exclaimed before glancing at Italy.

Or more specifically, his curl.

"VEEE?!" he exclaimed when she tugged on it once, causing him to stiffen then fall to the side. The three girls on the screen had a mixed reaction of laughter, surprise and shock.

"So it IS an E-zone?!" Kimberly asked. Anna nodded.

"You should have seen Romano's reaction! It was priceless… oh, sorry about that Italy, I hope I didn't hurt you…" Anna said laughing. Somehow, Italy thought, he didn't think she was all that sorry.

"I want to be there! I have to meet England…" Kaitlyn said jealously, it was no secret she had a crush on the former pirate turned gentleman.

"Well, who knows right! Anyways, it was great seeing you guys, but I need to go to… huh? Who's requesting to join our chat?" Anna remarked seeing the request. The other three shrugged.

"Vodkaluvr1230? Who is that?" Tris asked. All of the sudden another window popped on the screen.

"Hello подсолнечник!" a happy looking Russia exclaimed. Everyone present jumped back and screamed, with Italy bolting out the door yelling for Germany. Anna choked on air when he used the same nickname he called her in her dream, but decided it was just a coincidence.

"Ivan?!" Anna asked while the other three girls online looked confused and a little terrified.

"Ivan? Are you guys already on first name bases?"

"Did Russia just hack your Skype?!"

"Wow Anna, you sure move fast…"

"Guys, quiet!" Anna hissed. It was then that Russia noticed the other three girls, and it didn't seem to phase him at all.

"Hello, I'm Russia! Is nice to meet you all." he exclaimed smiling. Kaitlyn looked widely at her screen and gave a little wave, while Kimberly and Tris looked at each other awkwardly. Anna laughed at their reactions.

"Um, hey there…" Kaitlyn said finally while the other two just nodded.

"You're friends of Anya, da?" he asked.

"Anya? Who's Anya?" asked Kimberly.

"Oh, that's just what he calls me. So Ivan, how did you get into my Skype account?" Anna asked.

"I wanted to see you!" he stated happily. Not much of an answer, but still, Anna found it strangely sweet.

"Well, that's not creepy at all…" Tris muttered.

"Oh cool it guys, since when can you say a Hetalia character hacked your Skype?" Anna dismissed. Tris just rolled her eyes.

"Of course YOU would find it cute Anna, you psychopath…."

"High functioning sociopath, do your research."

"Did you really just quote Sherlock?"

"Hey, she left it wide open! I saw a chance and I went there…"

"What is Sherlock?" Russia asked cutting into the girls' banter.

"Oh, it's a tv show we all watch!" Kimberly said.

"Like this one?" he asked.

"Not exactly, the characters are not... they don't look like you per se." Kaitlyn said stopping herself from saying the 'A' word.

"Yeah, they look more like how Tris, Kim and Kate look if that makes sense." Anna explained. Russia simply nodded, though he didn't really understand all this.

"So Russia, why did you hack her Skype like a creeper?" Kimberly asked bluntly, earning a reproachful smack from Tris.

"I wanted to continue game." he explained.

"Game, what game? Anna, you didn't ask Russia to do the question game did you?" Kaitlyn asked. Anna simply shrugged while blushing slightly.

"Yeah, am I not allowed to do that?" she retorted. All three of her friends smirked knowingly.

"Oooh, Annaaaa... " Kimberly teased. Oh no, she knew where this was going…

"WELL! It's been grand seeing you guys again, but I think it's time to call it quits!" Anna said quickly fumbling with her mouse.

"Wait wait wait! You mean you didn't tell Russia that you…" Kaitlyn started to say.

"BYE!" she yelled quickly closing her friends' skype windows leaving Russia's open. At this moment Italy barged in dragging in a disgruntled Germany wearing his sleep wear behind him.

"SEEEE? It's Russia! He's stalking poor Anna!" he wailed.

"Actually, he's not really…" Anna started to correct but was interrupted when Germany took her laptop away.

"It's too late for video chatting! You have a long day tomorrow Miss Colins and you should be using this time for sleeping! Russia, stop hacking into people's computers, you're freaking them out! Now everyone go to bed!" he shouted while Anna and Italy cowered in a corner. Italy is right, Germany is scary!

"Yes sir herr sour-kraut," Anna said giving a mock salute, "I'll chat with you tomorrow Ivan!" with that Germany slammed her laptop shut and stormed out the room, Italy and laptop in tow, no doubt sulking over being woken up and being called such a name. Seeing as there wasn't much choice, Anna slipped underneath her covers and went to sleep smiling, she had some of the craziest friends out there. Boy, now what did that make her?

…

"Um, are you sure about this? Believe me, I really don't mind taking the train!" Anna said for the upteenth time that morning as she made sure that her seatbelt was secure. I wonder if Italy would mind if I tied it, she thought…

"Don't be silly! This will be fun!" Italy insisted turning on the ignition of his bright red ferrari. To Anna, it sounded like the Trump of Doom.

"Don't vorry, just close your eyes, it vill make things easier…" Germany whispered after he finished packing her bag in the bag.

"Oh sure, wouldn't want to die panicking…" Anna gulped. Italy revved the gas and Anna sent a silent prayer to whatever deity that she'd live, despite being an atheist by nature.

"Here we go!" Italy exclaimed before he hit pedal to the medal. The car zoomed off in a cloud of dust, disappearing quickly into the horizon as the sound of Anna screaming "holy mother Russia!" echoed into the distance. Germany shook his head, wishing all the best for their new guest. Sarcastic, and somewhat psycho she may be, she vas really a pleasant person, he concluded, before heading back into his house. There he went over the list of missing people in his country (forty-eight in total), for the upteenth time that day. All of them were former Nazi officers/sympathizers and considered harmless in the present day. Vhat could this mysterious organization vant with these elders? And vhat vas the meaning behind the message? Germany then got the stray thought over the coincidence that Anna vas somehow summoned here alongside all these other events.

Now that vas a true mystery. When France had called to varn him about her issue vith coffee and alcohol, he had also told him of the dream she had and how it vas similar to those of the micronations. Could this organization be responsible for Anna being here? Perhaps England could shed some light on this matter, he vas the vorld's magic expert after all.

(Meanwhile)

Italy had managed to drive them to his house from Germany's in almost record time, breaking every traffic law and speed limit known to man, even when driving on Germany's super highways. Somewhere along the way Anna had stopped screaming and went into a near catatonic state of fear, so by the time they pulled into Italy's driveway Anna was gripping the side of her seat and the edge of her door so tightly that her hand had actually made a little dent in the surface.

"We're here! I'll go make us some pasta, okay? Big brother Romano will be here in a moment, then we can go look around some!" Italy exclaimed happily before rushing out of the car and into his house to make lunch. Meanwhile a trembling Anna managed to move herself from her catatonic state and slowly got out of the car. The moment both of her feet touched the ground she collapsed.

"LAND! Sweet, sweet land!" she yelled gratefully, fully appreciating the fact that she was alive. She concluded that this was some convoluted punishment for her pulling on Italy and Romano's curls before, and vowed then and there never to do it again as long as she lived.

And to apologize profusely to both brothers while she was at it.

She didn't know how long she was grovelling on the ground, but it was like this that Italy found her when he popped out to let her know lunch was ready.

"Ve? Anna, are you okay?" he asked approaching her with a concerned look on his face. Anna slowly got up and nodded.

"Yeah, just catching my breath," she managed to get up on shaky knees and grabbed both of Italy's hands, "I apologize from the bottom of my heart that I pulled your curl Italy, it was childish of me and I promise it will never happen again. The same goes to your brother when I see him!" Though surprised by this act from the usually composed girl, Italy was touched.

"It's okay! And you can tell big brother yourself, he's right behind you!" Anna looked up in confusion and sure enough the scowling brother was looking at her in confusion.

"Jesus, pull yourself together sadist bitch, you look ridiculous." he said disdainfully. Rather than get offended, Anna instead wrapped him in a hug and repeated her apology to the older brother. Confused, Romano just patted the girl once on the shoulder before pushing her off him. What happened to get her so riled up, he thought.

"Okay! Let's go eat!" Italy said pulling the two into his house. The moment they entered the house, Anna's senses were assaulted by the most amazing smelling spices and foods imaginable. So THIS was real Italian cooking? She thought happily to herself. The giant plate of pasta placed in front of her looked even better than it smelled, and the taste! She could die happy she concluded. The whole afternoon the three spent laughing, eating and talking happily, yes even Romano too, once he concluded that the sadist wasn't all that bad. Then Italy brought out the wine….

"You guys are both just sooooo cuuuute, yeah, even you tooo Romano! Tell me, how long have you been dating Spain?" Anna asked the older brother, the alcohol going right to her brain. Romano blushed bright red and sputtered indignantly.

"Are you serious? Why the hell would I be dating that tomato bastard? Hey, stop laughing at me, it's not funny! Sadist bitch…" Anna couldn't help it, the look on Romano's face was too priceless. Even Italy smiled at his brother's expense.

"Chilax man, I'm cool with it if you are! I never judge my friends… can I have more wiiine?" she asked holding up her glass which Italy filled happily.

"Si! It's fun to drink with friends!" he exclaimed. Anna downed the contents in one gulp then poured herself another.

"I agree. It's official, I hereby name you two my new friends for life, y'all can count on me to watch your backs. Everyone here has made me feel right at home here, even Germany, even though he's a scary blond stiff..." Anna said patting both of their shoulders, swaying slightly from the influence of the alcohol.

"Yeah yeah, that's sweet, I think you've had enough…" Romano muttered trying to pry the glass from Anna's grip with no success. Despite himself he smirked a little at her jab at the potato bastard, but quickly scowled again when Anna nearly pulled him out of her chair trying to save her wine glass.

"Noooooo, silly Romanoooo…." Anna slurred.

"Come on, we have to show you our home! It's so pretty, you'll love it for sure!" Italy proclaimed dragging Anna out of her chair making her drop the glass which Romano caught which a grumble. Anna thought to herself over Italy's last question, could she really stay here if she wanted? Never before had she been so readily accepted by such an eclectic group of people, even the folks in her old drama class tended to be cliquish and mean when they wanted to. But here? This, felt more and more like home the more she stayed here.

"Okay dokey, but this time lets walk…" she said happily.

Unknown to the three, the mysterious stranger from France was watching them leave Italy's villa and take the road to Venice. He smiled to himself as he watched them, now she's ready he thought. His boss made it clear that she not be allowed to reach Russia, or else their plans would fail. Fall was ending, and no one was stupid enough to risk the wrath of General Winter or his ward. The moment she leave's the macaroni brother's sight, she would be theirs.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hello my lovelies! Here's a new chapter for you, things start to get a little serious! Don't worry for those of you who are wondering, there will be plenty of Russia-love in the next few chapters ;) patience! Now, onwards!**

Anna was in historical heaven. From Venice to Florence to Rome, Italy and Romano showed her all the secrets their country had to offer. She bought a beautiful mask in the form of a bird from Venice before traveling through the city along their famous canals, visited the Coliseum in Rome while the brothers told her stories about their grandfather, and visited Leonardo Da Vinci's home in Florence. They even let her see some of Da Vinci's original designs for fantastical war machines!

"To think, Da Vinci was thinking about helicopters and tanks nearly five centuries before his time! The man was a genius!" Anna exclaimed smiling gleefully.

"Whatever, genius or not he was still a bit of a wacko…" Romano grumbled. Being from the south, Romano never really got to boast over having such legendary citizens as his brother did.

"All the best people are. Now Romano, how good are those tomatoes you have at your place?" Anna asked. Romano pulled back in surprise.

"W-What?" Anna smiled brightly.

"I came here to visit Italy silly, that means ALL of Italy." Romano looked at her doubtfully, no way this wasn't some form of prank or joke.

"You're still drunk."

"Nope, I sober up as quickly as I get inebriated. Now come on, I want to try some of your tomatoes!" And with that, though neither brother really understood why, Anna got to see the farms, orchards and wineries of southern Italy. Said red fruit looked unbelievably delicious, just like they did in the show, and she was strangely excited at being able to try one. After one bite, she declared the tomatoes to be made of "fucking magic or something," and to their surprise Spain arrived at that moment.

"Hola mi amigos! It's lovely to see you!" he said waving happily. Romano groaned while trying to hide a blush.

"Hey there Spain!" Anna replied going over to shake his hand.

"What the hell are you doing here tomato bastard?" Romano spat out. Spain draped himself over the dark haired Italian and put on a look of mock hurt.

"Aww, does Lovi not want to see me?" he placed a kiss on the top of Romano's head, causing the younger country to blush deep red and struggle violently.

"Get the hell off of me!"

"So, 'not dating?' _Lovi?"_ Anna remarked smirking knowingly. Spain was right, Romano did look a lot like a tomato when he blushed. Italy in the meanwhile was chuckling quietly to himself at the scene before him.

"You didn't tell our guest that we were dating? That's so mean…" Spain whined. Romano sputtered and began shouting profanities until Anna stepped in between the two and draped her arms around the couple.

"Relax, I'm cool! I love my GBFs!"

"GBF?" Italy asked.

"Gay best friend!" she replied with a bright smile. This moment was sure to be one of her favorite memories in the years to come, but she had even better things waiting for her as she travelled further north. However, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye before she could dwell on the subject.

"Not a word of this gets out, you hear sadist bitch?"

"Lovi, that's no way to speak to our guest!"

"Shut up tomato bastard!"

"Fratello…!"

"Um, are we being followed?" Anna interjected. The three nations looked at her curiously.

"Why do you say that?" Italy asked. Anna pointed.

"Because there's a relatively good looking guy dressed in all black who's walking this way and not bothering to flirt with any of the girls." This got their attention, any male who didn't flirt excessively in Italy was obviously suspicious. And not Italian. Spain squinted trying to look at the stranger then his eyes widened in shock and recognition.

"Feli, Lovi, get Anna out of here and to the nearest airport NOW." Spain ordered pushing the other three away.

"What, why?" the three chorused. Spain looked back with a look of urgency in his eyes. If Spain was serious, shit was about to get real.

"Es la Colmena, vamonos!*" he said in a hushed voice. Italy and Anna didn't understand, but Romano did from his little knowledge of Spanish.

"Don't you do anything stupid, you bastard!" he pleaded, his eyes lacking the bite his words carried, before he took his brother and Anna's hands and pulled them away quickly. Anna looked back and saw that the stranger had reached to where they just were and that Spain was stopping his path.

"Hola amigo! How can I help you?" he said cheerfully. Anna was pulled too far away to hear what the stranger had to say, but he seemed to be angry about being blocked from his destination.

"Um, shouldn't we help him?" Anna asked, concerned over her new friend. Italy agreed but Romano kept pressing on, not even bothering to turn back. It was obvious that this situation was taking it's toll on the small nation.

"No, we get you out of here. Fratello, I never thought I'd say this but you need to go to the potato bastard's house after this."

"Ve?! Why? What are you going to do?" Italy asked.

"I'm going to help Antonio. Now come on!" Romano spat out before pulling them to a silver lamborghini. Anna blanched.

"Oh hell no...not again!" she groaned.

"Shut up and get in the fucking car!" Romano shouted before throwing Anna in the back seat and Italy in the passenger. She was about to protest when she saw something in the distance. A green flash of light, followed by the sound of a pained scream. Italy and Romano's eyes widened in horror at the sound while Anna stood frozen in shock. It was just like her dream...

"TONI!" Romano shouted trying to get out of the car to head to his boyfriend. Italy pulled him back.

"We have to leave fratello, they'll take you too. Big brother Spain needs us to get Anna safe, and you need to get away as well! Lovino, come on!" he begged. Romano struggled with the decision for a bit but finally sat back down in the driver's seat and turned on the ignition.

"Fucking hell!" he shouted with tears in his eyes. Anna barely had time to buckle her seat belt before Romano put pedal to the metal. This time Anna didn't scream out loud, but inwardly she tried not to hurl at Romano's reckless driving. She didn't know who was worse at driving, Italy or his brother! And why the hell did she drink all that wine?! Her thoughts were broken when she saw the angry and distraught expressions on the brothers' faces. What the hell has them all running scared?

"Italy, Romano, what's going on?" she asked over the roar of the engine, simultaneously trying to hold in her lunch.

"Some bat-shit crazy group called the HIVE, up until now they've been nothing but a nuisance, but now shit just hit the fan!" Romano replied bitterly.

"And now they have Antonio…" Italy said fearfully.

"Why is that a bad thing? What are they trying to do?"

"They've been trying for years to find ways… to kill nations." Romano said. Anna reeled back in shock.

"Kill nations? As in you guys? That's impossible!"

"NO fucking shit! Doesn't mean they can't hurt us like hell!"

"Then what was that green light?"

"It's how they capture us… it's really scary!" Italy explained with a shiver. Anna fell back in her seat and grew worried. All this shit was happening, the kidnapping, the green light, all around the time she was transported here? It couldn't be a coincidence. But what did she have to do with it? And now this weird terrorist group had Spain! Around this time they pulled into an airport, directly to the runway and they skidded to a stop, causing Anna to lurch forward.

"Two words, use brakes!" Anna exclaimed scrambling out of the car. The brothers led her to a small plane with a couple crew members stood around outside, and while Romano spoke some instructions to the pilot Anna got ready to board, Italy promising to send her some of her stuff as soon as he can.

"Oi, sadist, where do you want to go?" Romano asked bitterly. Anna had her answer already.

"Russia." Everyone present looked at her like she was crazy. Like what else is new?

"Oh come on, it will be the last place they will look for me." she reasoned. While the idea made the brothers extremely uncomfortable, they couldn't really argue with that logic. Only an idiot with a deathwish willingly goes against Russia, especially around this time of year. Sighing in resignation, Romano repeated her wishes to the pilot before heading back to his car.

"Fratello, where are you going?" Italy asked.

"I'm going back for Antonio you bastard, what does it look like?"

"Are you fucking insane? Those guys will only nab you too, what good will that accomplish?" Anna argued moving to follow Romano.

"I have to be there for that stupid tomato bastard, I won't lose Toni! I'm sorry." he replied. Anna's heartbeat echoed in her ear as Romano's last two words triggered something repressed inside of her. Italy made a move to stop Romano but was too slow; Anna was already there.

"I'm sorry too…" she whispered before grabbing a vital chi point on Romano's shoulder and squeezed. He fell like a ragdoll before he had a chance to retort, being caught and surprisingly carried to the car by Anna. Italy shivered as Anna's now cold, sad gaze fell on him.

"You get in this car and you drive like hell to Germany, Italy. I don't care if the police try to pull you over, get there before he wakes, he'll have a nasty headache when he does." she ordered softly. Italy nodded once before getting the drivers seat.

"Call me Feli from now on, and be careful in Russia, si? And grazie." he said. Anna smiled and nodded before getting on the plane, watching with a worried weight in her chest as Italy speeded away with his unconscious brother.

"Signorina, we need to go now. Are you ready?" the pilot asked her. Anna nodded and proceeded take her seat.

"Yes, let's go." as the plane started to take off, Anna once again broke her atheist habit for perhaps the third time that day to pray that Italy and Romano reached Germany safely, and that Spain was unharmed. At least, for now, she was safe from whatever these people were.

Everything was going so well, what happened?

Translation: *- It's the Hive, go now!

 **AN: Who is the HIVE? We'll find out in the next chapter ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: What? Two updates in a row? I'm on a roll!**

Anna watched out of the window as the scenery changed from airport runway to clear blue sky, her worry and apprehension not leaving until they were at cruising altitude. Around this time, the co-pilot came back to see her.

"Miss, we're at cruising level now. There's a phone on the side of your seat if you need to call anyone."

"Really? Thanks!" she replied smiling gratefully. The co-pilot nodded once before heading back to the cockpit. Picking up the receiver, she thought first about calling Russia to let him know that she was coming over early, but then her mind went back to Italy and Romano. If they weren't there already, it may be a good idea to let Germany know they were coming. With that in mind, she dialed Germany's number.

"Hello?" Germany's gruff voice asked from the other end.

"Germany? It's Anna!"

"Miss Colins? Is everything okay? Vhat happened?" he asked.

"I'm not too sure really, but Italy, Romano, Spain and I were being tracked by some group called the Hive? I don't know…" she stopped talking when Germany cursed loudly on the other end.

"Scheiße! Are you sure? Is Italy okay?!" he asked loudly. While shocked at his reaction, her heart melted at how much Germany did really care for the smaller nation. But that was not important now.

"For the most part, they took Spain. Italy and Romano got me on a plane for Russia now, and they're on there way to your house now for safety."

"Good, though I'm curious as to how you got Italy's brother to go to my house villingly…" Anna chuckled nervously at that.

"I didn't exactly… he went a little ballistic after they took Spain, I had to knock him out and dump him in the trunk before he did anything stupid."

"Hm, either vay, at least they're both safe… I didn't realize he cared so much for his former caretaker…" Germany commented offhandedly.

"You have no idea…" Anna muttered.

"Vhat was that?"

"Nothing! Germany, what, or who is the Hive? Why are they so dangerous?" Anna asked. She heard Germany sigh deeply before answering.

"The Hive is a group of scientists, agents, and mercenaries from all around the vorld who share the common view that the lines on the map is sending the vorld into chaos. They're primarily made of disavowed or disgraced members, fueled by revenge against the countries that wronged them. Up until now they've just been rumors, minor criminal activity that ve vere able to handle before…"

"And now?"

Silence.

"I see, what are you going to do about Spain?" Anna asked.

"I don't know, vhen Italy gets here I vill call an emergency G8 meeting to discuss…"

"GERMANY!" Italy's loud shriek could be heard in the background.

"GET OFF ME! I already know vhat's going on!" Germany shouted above a loudly babbling Italy.

"I'll let you get to it, I'll let you know when I make it to Russia. See ya, and good luck." Anna said after a moment.

"Thanks, ve'll need it. Travel safe." Germany replied before she heard a click on her end. He hung up. Anna sighed with slight exhaustion before dialing the number to Russia's house. It rang a couple times before he picked up.

"Hello?" despite herself and all that's recently happened, hearing the sound of Russia… Ivan's voice, made her smile.

"Hey Ivan, it's me, Anna!" she said happily.

"Anya! Hello there, how is Italy?" he asked cheerfully. Anna's smile sank before she recounted everything that happened earlier. When she had finished speaking Ivan's end was silent for a moment.

"Ivan, are you still there?" she asked carefully.

"Da, still here! Just thinking a little." he replied quickly.

"Okay, good. Any idea what's going on?"

"нет, I do not."

"It's okay, no worries…" she said, less than cheerful.

"At least you come to my place soon, da?" he assured. Anna couldn't help but smile at that.

"Да! Вы должны показать мне все Иван, я хочу чтобы увидеть все это!*" she replied, excitement starting to replace fear. Ivan chuckled at her use of his language.

"You should speak more Russian, is very good!" Anna couldn't help but blush, and was thankful that he couldn't see her over the phone.

"You think so? I'm glad! Though, my friend Kaitlyn is the real genius when it comes to languages, half of the time I'm not sure if she wants to work for the UN or for U.N.C.L.E.!" she said laughing nervously, not sure if Ivan would get her little 60s reference.

"You are perfect, I want to hear more. Also, you have a cute blush!" he said happily, causing Anna to sputter and look around frantically. Was there a hidden camera somewhere?!

"Blushing? I'm not blushing! Who said I was blushing?" she dismissed none too convincingly, causing Ivan to laugh. He did have a really cute laugh, she thought, though she understood how it could put some people off.

"I hear in your voice, loud and clear. Can't wait to see it." he said.

"Yeah, well, you got at least four hours to wait buddy…" she grumbled, though she was really touched by the compliment, weird as it was.

"I don't want to wait so long, I miss seeing your pretty face!" he said, the pout crystal clear in his voice as she giggled (yes, giggled) at the compliment. If she was blushing before, she was beet red now.

"You honestly think I'm pretty?" she asked, slightly unbelieving but jovial nonetheless.

"Of course! Why not?" Ivan asked bluntly. Anna was stunned at his answer, I mean, she thought, I guess I'm fairly easy on the eyes… sometimes.

"Good point, thank you, thank you very much." she replied smiling sincerely. There was a little pause in their conversation before Ivan spoke up again.

"Do you want to continue game? It will help to pass the time, da?" he suggested. Anna laughed, of course he would ask that.

"I'd love to, Ivan."

"Yay! Whose turn is it now?"

"You can go ahead!"

"Okie dokie! Do you have any siblings?"

"Indeed I do, I have one brother. I know about your sisters already." Anna said laughing at the memory of when she first arrived.

"Da, that is good."

"How is Belarus? Is she out for my blood yet?" Anna asked sarcastically. She wasn't afraid of no psycho bitch!

"Not yet, but I recommend you not see her for a while." he said laughing nervously.

"Noted! My bro's pretty boring, does nothing but play video games all day." Anna remarked.

"Like America?" Ivan asked a tad icily. Anna chuckled a little and nodded, despite him not being able to see it.

"Yeah, he's the new 'American Poster Boy,' which is really sad. Okay, my turn! What is your greatest fear?" Anna asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Ivan asked a little confused. Anna laughed a little oddly before responding.

"Any question goes! That's how the game works."

"Hm, okay. I'm afraid of being alone forever." That caught Anna of guard, she really wasn't expecting him to go deep so quickly.

"Really? Why is that?" she asked, sincerely curious as to what he meant.

"Before, I had a lot of people living with me. Now, it's just me. It gets lonely sometimes." he stated simply. Anna however, felt her heart break a little at the comment. How long has he felt this way? Since the Soviet Union was dissolved? Even longer?

"Well, I can guarantee this; just because people don't live with you forever, does not mean you're alone. I mean, there's me for one, once I go back I'll Skype you often if you like! Then there's China also, and your sisters, if you can convince their bosses to let them see you…" Anna tried comforting the lone country, blushing a little when she mentioned Skyping. It was nifty yet weird that the app had better connection through dimensions than across distance.

"I guess so, though it won't be same with you gone. I like you here." he replied. Anna laughed a little at that.

"I love being here, though, I have responsibilities back home." she countered, more sad now at the prospect at having to return home than before. Ivan didn't respond to that, but instead moved on.

"Perhaps. Okay, your turn! What's your fear?" he asked, the cheerful tone in his voice back full force. Any sane person would not even dream of revealing to Russia what they feared most in this world. So it was a good (or bad, depending on your point of view) thing that Anna was far from being considered "sane."

"Oh god…. heights… and spiders…" she replied nervously. Truthfully, there was an even deeper fear she had, but after everything that happened she wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet.

"Really?" Ivan asked incredulously.

"Oh yes, both terrify me. Planes used to be the death of me, but I got used to it as long as I didn't look down. Spiders, I fell into a nest when I was little. Ever since then, the things have terrified me." she said laughing nervously at herself.

"Okay, I'll make sure my house is spider free when you arrive!"

"Aw, that's so…." she never got a chance to finish as the line went dead and a dial tone sounded. Anna looked at the phone in confusion before a hand grabbed her shoulder.

Turning around in shock, Anna came face to face with a tall man with black hair and dark eyes. He didn't look crew!

"We got you at last, Anna Louise Colins…" he said slowly with a smirk, a slight texan drawl to his voice. Anna beat of his hand and shot out of her seat.

"Who the hell are you? What's going on?" she demanded, backing away from the stranger.

"We are the people who brought you here ma'am, now we're taking you where you belong." he replied. At this the plane turned sharply causing Anna to fall against the side of the plane in an attempt to balance herself.

"You're part of the Hive, aren't you? How did you get on this plane? What do you want? Where are you taking me? What are going to do to Spain?!" she asked angrily, getting into a defensive stance on instinct. The man's chilling laugh did nothing to calm her nerves.

"That is our name, yes. It was all part of the plan that you get on this plane, though we would have prefered to get the macaroni brothers as well as the tomato loving freak. Oh well, all in due time. Just take your seat Miss Colins, all will be revealed when we land. Can't have our most precious resource get damaged now, can we?" he said grabbing Anna by the arm and forcing her to sit back in her seat. Anna seethed in rage while trying to control her fear. Resource? That did not sound good whatsoever! The man just sat there and watched her, making sure she didn't try anything funny. He confident that she couldn't do anything even if she tried.

Rule number seven; never patronize or treat her like a helpless girl. Underestimation will be your downfall.

"Who the hell said that?" the man asked looking around.

"Narrator voice, who else?" Anna replied sardonically. The man narrowed his eyes at her.

"You shut it. All this nonsense, I'll be glad to be rid of it…" he grumbled. For the next couple hours they sat there in tense silence, Anna desperately trying to figure a way out of this. All of the sudden, the pilot called for the man to come to the cockpit.

"Signore? We need to refuel in Russia, we'll crash otherwise."

"What? Like hell I'm going anywhere near that commie bastard! The moment we land he'll be on our tails in an instant!" the man shouted angrily. This argument that sprouted between the pilots and the kidnapper was just what she needed! And now that they were in Russian air space….

Silent as a snowflake, Anna got of her seat and backed up slowly until she came to the emergency exit at the very back of the plane. The men up front didn't notice, but the plane had started to descend until it was just under the cloud level. Looking down through the window, and gulping loudly while she did, Anna saw a whole blanket of pure white snow on the ground surrounded by small patches of brown which she assumed were cities and towns. The plane descended quicker towards the ground when Anna got a crazy idea.

In desperate times, take a page from Russia's book.

"I'm going to jump out of a plane… without a parachute… praying that snow cushions my fall… holy Mother Russia…" Anna mouthed to herself. Looking down, the familiar panic she associated with hieghts started to build in her chest until her heartbeat was deafening. Clutching the handle tightly, Anna counted her breaths until the plane was over a clean patch of snow near a small range of mountains. If Russia can survive this, then so can she!

"HEY!" Anna turned in horror as the tall man came over to her with a gun pulled out. Time to go!

"Russia's a federation you bastard!" she yelled before lifting the handle and opening the door, the change in air pressure pulling her out before she had a chance to psyche herself into jumping. The gripped on to the nearest seat to prevent himself from being pulled out as well, the plane's alarms blaring in his ears as they pilots brought it down for a crash landing. Vaguely, he could hear the girl scream "GEROMIMOOOOOOOO!" As she fell to her death. Crazy bitch! How was he going to explain this to his superiors?

Meanwhile, Anna's heart was beating like a steamhammer as the ground quickly got closer and closer. The cold Russian air bit her skin and she cursed herself for not bringing a jacket with her! Not that it was going to matter, she'd be a splat on the ground in a few moments. Choosing not to look, she closed and covered her eyes with her arms as she waited for death to hit her, quite literally. Of all the crazy, stupid shit that she's done, besides getting a tattoo without telling her parents, this was the most insane she's ever done, she concluded! Ain't that nice for final thoughts?

That is, until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and gently slowed her descent. Anna dared to open her eyes to see a pair of arms wrapped in a pale grey coat holding her firmly by the waist, intricate snowflake patters being stitched all along the fabric. She turned to face her savior and was genuinely surprised when she caught sight of chiseled, aged features, grey hair and snow white eyes.

"General Winter?!" she asked in wonder. The old man turned at her slightly in acknowledgement before he set her gently upon the snow covered ground. Anna immediately collapsed heaving air into her lungs as she tried to slow her heart rate. When she turned to thank him, he had vanished. Leaving her all alone in the snow covered mountain plains of Russia.

"I'm alive…?" she asked out loud to no one, touching her body to make sure nothing was broken. She was safe!

"I"M FUCKING ALIVE! YEEEHAW!" she shouted into the air, indulging her inner American with a victorious whoop and a jump in the air. As if sensing the transgression, the cold wind picked up and reduced Anna into a trembling armadillo curled into herself for warmth.

"A-a-and…. I'm freezing…. without a c-c-c-coat…. b-b-b-b-brilliant. J-just brilliant Anna…"

Translation: *- You have to show me everything Ivan, I want to see it all!

 **AN: Oh no, after everything that's happened, what's going to happen to Anna? DUN DUN DUN!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: New chapter! Things get interesting... ;)**

Anna had no idea how long she had been walking aimlessly towards the east, choosing to follow the path of the rising sun in hopes of finding a town or city. All she knew was that she was positively freezing. Being a small girl, it didn't take long for cold or wind to bite her down to her bones, even when she did bundle up. This however, was cold on an entirely new level. The cold didn't just blow around and chill her, she swore each little breeze tore through her body like a knife. All she had on for protection against this bitter cold was a light sweater she had chosen to wear that morning in Germany, dark pants and her Docs. Germany… that morning felt like days ago with everything that's happened.

She couldn't feel her hands at all, even with them buried under her sleeves and tucked under her armpits, they refused to move on command. Somewhere along the way, she had started sneezing and her head was getting a little dizzy. She was hungry, having not eaten since that huge lunch with Italy, choosing to eat the pure white snow from the ground in order to take the bite off of her hunger while keeping herself hydrated. To top it all off, the sun was going down… and it was beginning to snow.

"P-p-p-eachy! J-j-j-just p-peachy! I survive jumping f-f-from a p-p-plane, but f-f-f-freeze… instead! Peachy!" Anna yelled at the sky. And now, I'm yelling at the weather, she thought. If there was a chance she could get any more insane before her death, this was it for sure. The snow was getting deeper quickly, it was getting harder to walk without sinking into the bank even with her Docs. She had to keep going, had to keep moving, to stop would be certain death! As if trying to make sure the latter would happen, the wind and snow picked up turning into a flurry. Every muscle was trembling now, it was getting harder to see and her insides were starting to hurt. She was just about to give up when…

A light! There was a light glowing brightly up ahead! People! Food! Warmth! With renewed hope, Anna redoubled her efforts and was practically jogging through the snow, the light slowly but surely getting a little closer each step.

"H-hello?!" she called out. There was no answer, the wind picking up even further to drown out her voice. Licking her dried lips, Anna took as deep a breath as she could, despite the cold air turning her lungs to ice in her chest, and hollered.

"HELLO! I NEED SHELTER, HELP ME!"

There was still no answer.

The light went out in the next moment.

Panicked, Anna broke into a laboured run towards where she thought the light was previously, though at this point she was positive that she wasn't running straight. The snow had turned into a proper blizzard now, and her body just couldn't handle much more. She was going to die, cold, alone, and afraid, in the middle of nowhere. Would her body every be found? Would people know where to even look? Anna shook her head at these thoughts and continued running…

Until fate played an even crueller trick… she tripped and fell to the ground. Or rather, against a wall. It felt like wood, a door maybe? Anna's muscles had locked in place as soon as she collapsed, it took every last ounce of effort for her to raise her hand and knock feebly against the door. As if they could hear over the sound of the howling wind. Darkness seeped into the edges of her vision, her body growing more and more numb by the second. Losing all hope, Anna gave one last final knock before succumbing to the cold.

…

Russia was frantic. The moment his phone call with Anna cut off he suspected something was wrong. His suspicions were only confirmed when Italy called soon after panicking when Anna's plane went missing off of the radar. Was it Hive? Did something go wrong? Worse, was Anna..?

нет! His Anna was strong girl, he thought confidently. But where was she? He didn't find it weird to start thinking of the young historian as 'his,' it just felt right to do so. It would feel even better if she was here with him.

A couple hours later, his boss called to inform him that an Italian private jet had crashlanded a few hours outside of Moscow, all the crew had survived. There was one American passenger and evidence of another, but whoever it was was long gone. The person on board matched criminal records as Austin Sinclair, a former American mercenary contractor who participated in the Iraq wars who was discharged and imprisoned, why, America's bosses kept that secret from the rest of the world. Not even America himself knew all the details. So much for "freedom" if his own government kept secrets from it's citizens and nation.

Speaking of which, the Yank called Russia to demand that his bosses return Sinclair to American custody. While Russia wanted to refuse and instead introduce Sinclair to his Magic Pipe of Pain until he told him where Anna was, his own bosses ordered it of him. So, Sinclair was handed to the Americans and Russia was forced to wait and see what would happen next. All he could think about was Anna, if she wasn't on the plane, where was she? Was the plane a decoy? Or did it land somewhere and did she manage to slip away? That didn't explain why the plane crashed, though, it appeared as though someone opened one of the doors mid flight….

An idea hit him. Did she… jump?

"That's stupid, Anna is strong and slightly crazy, but she wouldn't just jump out of a plane like that, she's too smart." he said to himself. His thoughts were interrupted by sudden gust of wind outside his house. He frowned.

"Hm, is a little early for snow storm this year. Oh well, I blame America and his excessive amount of cars for causing climate change…" he muttered. Making sure that all the windows in his house were closed off against the blizzard, Russia settled for sitting by the fire for a moment, a good book and a glass of his favorite drink in hand. For those of you who are wondering, it's vodka of course, that's a no brainer.

Eventually, afternoon slipped into the evening and Russia decided to turn in. Waiting up for something to happen was ludicrous, especially in this weather. As he put away the now almost empty bottle he swore he could hear someone shouting outside. Outside? In this storm? Impossible! Believing it to be a trick of the wind, Russia merely shrugged and went to put out the fire. Just as he was about to head up the stairs, there was a loud thump on the door. He turned around in surprise as four very faint knocks sounded from the other side.

Someone WAS outside!

Running over to the door, he wrenched it open as whoever it was gave one last hard knock before going silent.

There, lying with a thickening layer of snow over her hair and clothes, was an unconscious Anna.

Without even thinking he picked the small girl up into his arms, horrified at how stiff she was, and closed the door quickly behind him with his foot, paying no mind to the small amount of snow that had blown in. He raced her up the stairs and into the master bathroom, laying her gently along the counter as he took in her condition while turning on the water for a warm bath.

Her already snow white skin was pale blue, contrasted sharply by dark purple lips that were normally rosy. Strands of her hair appeared frozen and he was both relieved and worried at the slight shiver that ran through her every time she breathed. She was alive, but just barely. Her hands were almost completely blue, he couldn't even guess what her feet must be like. Without even a thought to propriety he started to take her clothes off while the tub filled, not even having the mind to blush as she was stripped completely bare to his eyes. All that mattered was getting her warm. Thankfully, after he tugged off the black boots, her feet seemed to be not as affected as her hands.

At this time the tub had filled about halfway and he picked her up once again to set her gently and slowly in the water; too quickly and her body could go into shock. As soon as her body was partially submerged, a small moan escaped her lips causing Russia to look up. Was she regaining consciousness?

"If this is heaven… I'm not leaving this spot…" she murmured. Her comment made Russia smile in relief, she'll be fine… his Anna will be fine.

"I'm going to go boil some water for you. Stay here and get warm, da?" he said softly. Anna nodded, though he wasn't sure if she really comprehended her surroundings just yet. After he made sure that she would be propped up without danger of slipping, he went downstairs to boil some water in a large pot. He had to heat the water gradually or else it would hurt her more than it would do her good. When he returned with the hot water, Anna had opened her eyes and was looking around drowsily. Her eyes widened slightly when she looked at him.

"Ivan…? What happened…?" she asked quietly. Kneeling down beside her, he placed his hand against her forehead: still chilled, but much warmer than before.

"You almost freezed to death. I'm warming you up." he explained, a slightly worried smile on his face. Anna nodded a little in understanding.

"Okay… otherwise I'd have to beat you senseless for taking off my clothes…" she said. Russia chuckled a bit before standing up.

"I'm adding more hot water now, then I'll go wash your clothes, da? I give you some old ones of my sister's for tonight, then you can get some sleep." he stated. Anna nodded and moved so that Russia could add the water without scalding her. After she confirmed that the temperature was okay, Russia started to leave when she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back.

"Ivan, thank you… you saved my life…" she said with a grateful smile, tears welling in her eyes. Those surprised Russia, he wasn't used to seeing her cry. While they did make her eyes shine like stars, at the same time they seemed… out of place. Gently wiping them away, he leaned down and surprised her by placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Is nothing, you're safe now." he whispered before turning and leaving Anna alone with her thoughts for a moment. She sat there, moving her stiff limbs in an attempt to get blood circulating again. She surprised herself by letting a few tears shed, being alone in the cold had scared her more than anything in this world. She was so close to death just now, proving just how dangerous this world was for someone like her. Animated and wacky she may be, but in her core she was just a normal human, she thought. If she could die so easily, there could be no way she could stay here…

Even when she really wanted to.

Indeed, being with Ivan now made her feel so at home, like nothing else mattered. It surprised Anna just how quickly she found herself falling for the tall country, what had started as a harmless fangirl crush had evolved into something deeper. Maybe she really was crazy, but from the very beginning she couldn't really comprehend why people assumed he was a psycho. Sociopathic maybe, but he really did care for people in his 'special' way, no psycho would do that. Plus, he had treated her so gently and spoke honestly with her... Feeling the water start to get lukewarm, Anna wiggled her fingers and started to slowly lift herself out of the tub. The pain in her stiff muscles was excruciating, but she had to move… although her legs seemed to disagree.

"Come on legs, move!" she groaned struggling to lift one leg over the edge followed by the next. Not yet confident that her legs could bear her weight, Anna leaned against the tub while she waited for her circulation to return to normal. An involuntary shiver ran through her body as the air hit her wet skin, followed by a deep red blush. She was naked… Ivan had seen her NAKED! A part of her brain was screaming over Rule Number Two, but she was able to calm it down with logic… and when a warm towel was quickly wrapped around her.

"You should wait longer, da, don't force yourself." Ivan reprimanded softly. Despite the blush gracing her cheeks, Anna pouted over being coddled.

"I'm fine, I can handle myself now." Ivan just smiled, making her flush a slightly deeper red. Why did he have to have such a bright smile all the time, she thought.

"Okay, let's just get you dressed!"

"Y-You've seen enough I'd think! I'll dress myself!" Anna declared, cursing her stutter. Before Ivan could protest Anna wrapped the towel tightly around herself and ushered Ivan out of the room, embarrassment fueling her muscles to finally move properly. Sighing heavily after she shut the door, Anna looked at the stack of clothes Ivan had brought.

It was most likely Belarus's clothes based on the fact the nightgown was more lace and frills than actual flannel. While she did like the vintage look, and judging by the style she'd say this gown was very early 1900s, it was a tad gaudy for her personal taste. Oh well. Slipping the gown over her head, she was pleased to see that it fit really well, though the excessive lace in front brought more attention to her bosom than she would like. Thankfully, Ivan had also brought a fluffy dressing gown that was a little big on her, surrounding her in a fluffy cocoon of warmth. She tried on the pair of slippers, but they were too small. There was a quiet knock on the bathroom door just as she finished dressing.

"You okay Anya?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah, though the slippers are too small I think…" Anna replied.

"Really? Those are Ukraine's, she has big feet too." Anna scowled at the door, this may not be a Rule but she still had her pride!

"My feet aren't that big!" she protested, though her words lacked any real bite.

"No worries, I'll just give you one of my old pairs!" Ivan said happily before she heard him walk away. Tying the dressing down tightly around her, Anna walked out of the bathroom and took in her surroundings.

Whenever the show featured Russia's house, Anna was under the impression that it was a fairly large house to house five other countries at one time. Right now, with most of the lights off, it felt a lot more cozy than she expected it to be. The floor on the hallways were made of polished dark wood and the walls were covered in warm green wall paper covered in little yellow flowers. Old photos and paintings hung on the walls, though she was too tired to really look at them. They looked to be leftover from the Imperial age based on the age and opulence of the dress the people in them wore. A loud growl from her stomach told her she was starving.

"Here you go!" Ivan said coming up behind her. Anna nearly jumped out of her skin, how does he move so quietly?!

"Holy Mother Russia, how the hell does something as tall as you move so quietly?!" Anna asked with a twinge of annoyance in her voice. It unnerved her only slightly when he decided not to answer and instead present her a pair slippers. Her anger was forgotten when she got a look of the design.

"Hope these fit!" he said handing them over with a smile.

"Are you serious? Those are medieval moccasins from the time of Ivan the Terrible! There's even embroidery and fur trim? And they're upturned at the toe so perfectly, I can't wear those, they're antique!" Anna rambled, handling the shoes with care. She's only ever seen clothes like this behind glass cases in museums or in photographs.

"Is okay, go on a try them! I actually bought these last week, but they were too small!" Ivan said smiling. Anna froze and sweat dropped. Did I really just pull a Latvia, she thought nervously, he must be so insulted!

"Oh... please don't crush my cervical vertebrae, I'm already so short…" she said before she could stop herself. Shut up mouth! Hoping not to offend Ivan that she thought she already did, she quickly slipped on the shoes and was surprised at how comfortable they were!

"See, they fit nice! You can keep them. You hungry?" Ivan asked starting to walk towards the kitchen. Anna nodded enthusiastically and followed Ivan.

"Oh please, I'm starving! And, sorry about the shoe comment… and the vertebrae comment, because I didn't mean to imply anything by it... well I mean..." Anna started to ramble before Ivan turned around and placed a hand on her shoulder, shutting her up with a squeak.

"Don't worry about it! Come eat, I have some leftover borscht." he said leading her into the kitchen, not once letting go of her shoulder until he sat her down at the vintage kitchen table. Anna was a tad confused at the slight man handling, though in retrospect she probably just got off lucky. She really couldn't deal with being crushed any shorter already.

Ivan on the other hand didn't really mind about her comments, the way she stuttered and tried to make up for it was very cute! Coupled with her small size and smart alecky comments, she was perfect in his eyes. Except when she cried… tears did not belong on her face he concluded while he heated up the borscht on the stovetop. He prefered her eyes wide and curious as she took in her new surroundings, sparkling with excitement when she learned something new or saw something she liked, even slightly crazed or icy whenever she was angry. Da, she was perfect, and finally with him.

"Wow, that smells amazing! I've heard so much about borscht but I've never tried it." Anna said smiling as she inhaled the hearty aroma. Ivan smiled as he served out a bowl and set it in front of her. It had the smell of beef and veg, but the slight pinkish color confused her as she took up a spoonful.

"Beetroot?" she asked taking another whiff. She wasn't a fan of the stuff, but she wasn't going to tell that to him!

"Da, try it!" Ivan replied smiling. While she did feel weird having him watch her eat, her stomach was louder than her discomfort. So, with a small shrug Anna ate the spoonful in one bite. The results was instantaneous magic, a wondrous mix of sweet and sour complete with a warm comfortable feeling as soon as she swallowed.

"Amazing! I love it!" she exclaimed nearly wolfing her serving down. Kaitlyn would have balked at her unladylike behavior, especially in front of an attractive man, but Kaitlyn didn't just get kidnapped and nearly perished out in a blizzard! Ivan just laughed.

"I'm glad, eat as much as you like." he said. Anna nodded happily and continued to eat, neither of them saying anything as Ivan was just content to watch her. Finally, after she had eaten two helpings of the delicious stew, Anna was starting to feel drowsy.

"Goodness, I'm exhausted all of the sudden."

"Well, you had long day today, da? Time for bed!" Ivan said quickly clearing her place. Before Anna had a chance to say anything, Ivan suddenly swooped down and picked her up bridal style.

Rule number eight; Anna is not a china doll, nor a sack of potatoes, do don't even dream of picking her up.

"Ivan! Let me go, I can walk by myself!" Anna protested trying to squirm out of Ivan's grasp, but his hold was firm yet gentle as held her closer to him. It was then she realized their proximity and blushed furiously when he turned to face her, ceasing moving immediately.

"Hm, nah. I like having you up close like this! Besides, you've walked plenty today." Ivan stated calmly. Anna's blush deepened as she feigned indignation.

"It, it's not proper Ivan! I can take care of myself…" she said looking anywhere but Ivan's face. He simply chuckled as he continued carrying her up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

"I'm sure you can, but I think you should let others take care of you sometimes. It can be exhausting on your own." he stated, his smile falling slightly. Anna looked at him in surprise, she never expected him to say something so… profound. Also, the way the warm light swam in his violet eyes and reflected off his silver blonde hair, he looked, for lack of a better word, magical. Her heart rate increased as she felt her face get hot, this country… this person was just breaking all of her walls and letting unfamiliar feelings pour forth. Then the warmth left, no, hold me closer, she thought panicking! Before she realized, Ivan had set her down in front of a door and opened it to reveal a room covered in rose patterned wallpaper and old photographs of buildings and landscapes. The furniture was made of polished old wood with simple yet elegant designs carved into the wood. The bed itself was covered in a lovely quilt that looked like it was made decades ago. It was cozy and homely. In a word, perfect.

"Sleep well, da? See you in morning Anya." Ivan said, before starting to walk away. No, don't go yet. Hold me more, she thought! Without even thinking Anna reached out and grabbed the end of Ivan's scarf. He barely had time to turn around before she pulled him down and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. To an even greater surprise, she had started to sob.

"Thank you… thank you… thank you…" she cried, shaking uncontrollably. All the emotions from the last few hours welling up and pouring out all at once. She had been kidnapped, jumped from a plane, and nearly froze to death in the wilderness… and on top of it she was falling head over heels for one of the most misunderstood and feared nations known to the Hetalia verse. Ivan was taken aback this show of emotion from Anna, but quickly wrapped his arms around the crying girl, saying soothing words in Russian to calm her.

"Я здесь, ты в безопасности …"* Anna looked up from his shoulder and smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"спасибо."** she said softly, before leaning in (and up slightly given their height difference) and placing a loving kiss on his lips. Ivan's eyes widened, never in a million years did he expect this girl… or anyone… to kiss him willingly. Her lips felt so soft against his, and immediately he felt warmth travel through his body. As if his heart had been living months in harsh winter and just had its first taste of the sun. Anna felt like she was on fire, like their first kiss but magnified a thousand fold. His lips felt cool as they moved gently against hers, like a soothing balm that chased all her fears and doubts away. It was perfect, beautiful, and neither of them wanted it to end.

Until the clock chimed and they pulled apart. Anna was flushing beet red, while Ivan had a pink flush gracing his usual white features.

"You stopped crying…" he said softly. Anna smiled and nodded.

"I did… good night, Ivan." she replied before turning and entering her room. Ivan nodded and returned her smile as she closed the door. A million thoughts whirled through his mind until the faint sound of a happy squeal sounded from the other side of the door.

The sound of a young woman in love.

Translation: *- I'm here, you're safe

*- Thank you

 **AN: Their first real kiss! AHH! Don't forget those lovely reviews, they keep me motivated ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: New chap! Man, I am on a roll! We had a lot of seriousness in the last chapter, so I have a little humor here to balance it out. And now that the romance is going... ehehehe, well this is an M fic for a reason (besides the cussing and adventure scenes) xD Keep on your toes! And I love all the review and favorites this has been getting, it keeps me motivated! Okay, enough chat, onwards!**

Anna shot up straight, panting heavily in a cold sweat. The wind outside was still howling, plaguing her dreams with visions of green lights, falling, and dying... Cold and alone. And the faint voice of someone saying "I'm sorry..." Even with the curtains closed and the bedside lamp on, the shadows in the room felt like they were closing in on her. She had to get out, had to...!

"Anya?" Ivan's voice cut through her panic. She turned to see him standing in her door, wearing a striped pajama set complete from his never absent scarf wrapped snugly around his neck. His concerned expression had her running over to hug him tightly, his arms quickly caging her in a circle of warmth and comfort. Even though she may not like it, he loved her small height. It meant that he could hold her against him perfectly and lean his head on hers if need be. This way, he could protect her...

"I'm sorry, so sorry! It's just, everytime I close my eyes..." She panted trying to fight back tears while Ivan stroked her hair softly.

"Is okay, I'm here. Do you want me stay here tonight?" He asked. Anna looked up and nodded before taking him with her to sit next to her on the bed.

"Sorry, I'm usually more composed than this. I hate being so afraid..." She said holding Ivan's hand, which she squeezed for reassurance.

"Is alright, you just lean on me." Ivan soothed, kissing the top of her head. Anna looked up at him and smiled gratefully before leaning her head against his shoulder. Huh, I guess being short has it's advantages, she thought to herself, unaware that Ivan had similar thoughts just moments before.

"Thanks. To be honest, when I imagined visiting Russia, I imagined slightly different circumstances." She said laughing half heartedly.

"You still want to go out?" Ivan asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Of course, I've been dreaming about coming here since I was a child! I just... Don't want to be alone... Not with the wind..." Anna replied trailing off at the end. Ivan nodded in understanding.

"Okay, I'll show you tomorrow!" He announced smiling brightly. Anna looked up at him, happiness and surprise alight in her eyes.

"Really? Are you sure?" She asked smiling. Oh god I hope this isn't a joke, she thought. Ivan nodded.

"Da, but you have to stay close to me okay? Don't think Hive will find you here, but we have to be very sure." He said smiling falling slightly. Anna nodded before wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Of course! Thank you thank you thank you, I can't wait. Can we go to St. Petersburg first, and the Winter palace? Ooh, then Moscow, and the WWII gulags...!" Anna listed now standing up and pacing with excitement.

"Eh? You want to go to Siberia?" Ivan asked, very confused. Never in all of his years, had he ever seen someone actually WANTING to go to the cold, forbidding plains of Siberia!

"Are you kidding? Thousands of war prisoners died there due to the cold and poor food, not to mention how many perished under Stalin's rule! Just imagine the atmosphere of gloom and foreboding that must still hang around those facilities..." She ranted, surrounded by floating hearts and, unnervingly, skulls. Ivan was astounded, this girl was a bit of a sadist... But still a cute sadist, and still his cute sadist more importantly.

He stayed with her and they spoke until she fell asleep, her mind filled with excitement of what was to come in the following days. Just before he left, he kissed her forehead goodnight.

...

Anna was scouring through her wardrobe for something to wear. She wanted to look cute (for once in her life she realized) yet still maintain her usual practical yet alternative style. She was already wearing a dark red turtle neck and some of Belarus's old undergarments (because what girl could actually fit Ukraine's), but she needed to dress for the cold weather. Thankfully, came morning the blizzard had stopped save for the occasional gentle snowfall. Pulling out a thick black coat that fell to her knees with two rows of shiny gold buttons, dark blue leggings and tall brown boots that hugged her calves, she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Hm, something's missing..." She said to herself. Squinting a little, she mourned the loss of her glasses when she jumped out of the plane, but she wasn't necessarily blind without them. It was just hard to see things up close which made reading and writing difficult. Looking in the wardrobe, she spotted a black cap that resembled the military cap used around the 1910s and the revolution... And Anastasia's in the beginning of the film! Smiling with glee, Anna placed the cap on top of her auburn curls and twirled. Now she looked like she belonged in Russia... If only her neck weren't so exposed, she thought with a shiver. Even with the collar of the coat popped up and the turtle neck, she still felt the chill on her skin.

Until something red and warm wrapped around her neck. A scarf?

"There, now you'll be safe from the cold!" Anna turned to find Ivan standing right behind her. How in holy hell does he move so quickly and quietly?!

"Wha..?! How did you…?! Never mind… This is lovely, where did you get it?" Anna asked wrapping the scarf around her neck similar to how Ivan his.

"I made it for you!" he replied smiling happily. Anna started.

"Seriously?!" she asked getting a closer look at the fabric. It looked like an intricate cable knit that bunched together to lock in warmth, the wool soft and gentle yet strong. Upon closer inspection, she saw her initials intricately embroidered in the corner with black silk thread.

"Da, you like?"

"Like? I love it! Thank you so much, now we match!" Anna laughed before she caught herself.

"Well I mean, not necessarily…" she started to ramble until he silenced her with a quick kiss. Anna froze and blushed, she could never get used to actually kissing Ivan, she concluded. Which may not be a bad thing, she reasoned.

"Is okay. Though I have been meaning to ask, where are your glasses?" he asked suddenly. Anna started and looked away nervously.

"Oh…. I lost them when I escaped Hive…" she said carefully, not wanting to rouse any suspicion. Unfortunately, he raised an eyebrow.

"How?" Anna sweatdropped when he asked.

"...I jumped… from the plane…" she muttered.

"What you say?"

"Ijumpedfromtheplane!" she said quickly. God, this was embarrassing. Ivan looked at her in shock!

"You jumped from plane?!" he demanded, concern present in his eyes. Anna was surprised by this show of protectiveness, but placed a hand on his shoulder for reassurance.

"Yeah, but I'm okay, this old guy swooped down and saved me, though I would have prefered that he dropped me in a city instead of the middle of nowhere…" she said, muttering the last part to herself.

"General Winter saved you?" Ivan asked. Anna nodded.

"Yeah, I think so… weird, huh?" she dismissed. Ivan nodded and proceeded to lead Anna towards the front where a car was waiting to take them wherever Anna wished, but secretly he thought to himself, why would Winter interfere with one girl's fate? He rarely came out of hiding early unless it was important… what made Anna so important to everyone?

…

Anna couldn't sit still in her seat. Finally! She was going to see the city of her dreams since childhood! For most of the ride Anna had her face pressed against the glass as she watched the Russian snowscape pass by. Now that the storm has past, Anna was able to take in the scenery as she wanted. Quaint farms with barn houses covered in snow changed to brick cottages in small villages, until in the distance, Anna could see tall buildings break the skyline, one in particular standing out above the rest. Her heart jumped into her throat.

"It's St. Petersburg! That's the Church of the Savior of blood right there! I can't believe it, you're taking me there first?!" she asked excitedly. Ivan nodded and smiled brightly.

"Da, since it's your dream and all. I thought you'd like it!"

"I can't wait, I want to see it all!"

"Don't worry, you will! I have to make quick call first, no one else knows you're alive and with me." he said, smile faltering slightly.

"Oh, of course! I wouldn't want them to worry." Anna agreed. She couldn't contain her excitement though! As they drove closer and closer to the city center, Anna watched in awe as the buildings grew taller and architecturally more intricate until they stopped in front of an official looking building.

"Wait here, okay? Be only a few!" Ivan said getting out of the car. Oh no he won't!

"Like hell! I want to talk to everyone too!" Anna said clambering out after him. Ivan nodded in agreement and led her inside the building. She noticed that all the people working there looked at the pair of them warily or even backed away physically if they were closer. Was this because of Ivan? Did he scare them that much. Looking up at him all she saw was a friendly, though slightly off putting smile, and an occasional wave that was hesitantly returned. Why did his own people fear him? Pouting, Anna wrapped her arms around his and held it close, shocking some of the people there. Ivan on the other hand just looked down at her and smiled more genuinely. He was used to this kind of treatment, but he found her little acts of support to be a breath of fresh air.

Soon after, they went into a conference type room with a large tv screen on the wall, the Hetalia world symbol with the wings spinning as a screensaver. Almost immediately, the screen switched to show the faces of the G8 (plus China strangely) as the lights in the room dimmed slightly.

"Russia? What's going on dude? Holy cow is that Anna?!" America asked loudly when he noticed the small girl standing next to Russia. Anna smiled and waved.

"Hey guys! I'm not dead!" she greeted, her grin wide and cheeky.

"Anna, thank goodness! I'm certainly glad to see you're alright." England said, relief flooding his features. Anna was touched that her home nation was concerned about her.

"Glad to see you too Arthur. How about the rest of y'all? Have you guys decided on what you're going to do about this Hive business?" Anna asked. Immediately everyone's faces fell. Oh…

"Is rike this; we have no idea where they are." Japan said grimly. Italy looked extremely crestfallen as he said this. She could only imagine what Romano must be going through. Which reminded her, she'd need to apologize for knocking him out...

"Ve are looking as hard as we can, but they are sneaky." Germany remarked, Italy glancing at the tall blond before nodding in agreement.

"I see…" Anna remarked.

"So Anna, how the hell did you escape?" America asked. Anna blushed and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"I jumped… out of the plane…. into a frozen wasteland…." she replied laughing nervously.

"Aiyah! You are totally insane! At least you have parachute right?" China asked. Anna simply shook her head bashfully.

"Are you insane?!" Germany demanded loudly. Even over speakers Anna had to cover her ears!

"Dude, that is totally wicked!" America remarked, a manic grin wide on his face.

"Don't encourage such behavior, she could have killed herself!" England reprimanded. Anna nodded to herself in agreement, the event certainly didn't help her fear of heights…

"That's not the worst of it, I may have landed no problem but I was caught in a blizzard with nothing but a sweater!" Anna remarked, shivering at the memory. Ivan wrapped an arm around her in comfort while the other countries looked on in shock.

"Woah, how come you're not like, dead or something?" America asked bluntly. Anna simply shrugged.

"Dumb luck."

"She landed on front porch, it was scary!" Ivan remarked.

"I'll say…" England commented. France on the other hand didn't seem all that bothered.

"I'm very surprised you managed to do such a stunt wizhout breaking you back ohon, your tiny body must have been carried gently by the wind like a delicate flower…." France remarked, rose petals flowing behind him. Anna's mind on the other hand, blanked when he said 'tiny.'

"Shut up about my height you stupid froggy wanker!" she yelled, vein pulsing. What she never notices is that her voice slips into an English accent every time she gets angry. Even back in her world! (Anna looked up at the Narrator's sudden remark and asked if that was true) Unfortunately, France and the others noticed and he only smirked.

"Ohohon, my cher Angletèrre, zhis girl must totally be related to you, her insults are as bad as yours! Plus zhe fact zhat her eyebrows are not unlike yours…" Anna's hand went to her brows while an arrow with the words "half British" flashed over her head. Crap, when was the last time she plucked them?! Besides…

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH MY BROWS?!" England and she chorused angrily. America, France and Italy only laughed while Anna resisted the urge to throw a chair at France's froggy face. Germany sighed heavily before coughing loudly.

"ANYVAY! Ve're glad to know that you're okay Miss Colins and for the time being, I think it best that you stay with Russia until this all blows over. England vill vork on a vay to send you home in the meantime."

"Awww, but she never got to come to my place! Why does the psycho get to keep her?" America whined.

"Likewise, I find it very rude that Anna has not come to visit me!" China grumped. Anna held her hands up to calm them.

"America…. I'm FROM America (that was weird to say), no offence but I kinda get the idea about your place already. Plus, and this joke has been overused already, the Cold War is over, quit hatin' on Russia! And don't you worry China, I intend to visit everyone I can before I go home! Good luck guys! And Italy, tell Romano that I'm sorry and that I hope there's no hard feelings!" Anna waved at the screen in goodbye before they all disappeared with goodbyes of their own, the sound of Romano's voice in the background saying something angrily in Italian making Anna cringe. It was then that she noticed the arrow and words over her head.

"What the….?!" she asked in shock, swatting the objects away. They quickly vanished when Ivan waved them away. Even words were terrified of him…

"Don't worry, they just annoying. Okay! Let's go see city, da?" he asked holding his hand out which Anna took readily, smiling mischievously.

"Da!"


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I'm alive! New chapter and things are starting to get exciting! Things really start to build in this chapter, so hang tight! Onwards!**

That day went by in a blur of colors and many photographs taken by Anna on a new camera Ivan had got for her. Everywhere they went Anna recited the history behind each building or monument he took her to see, or if she didn't know a certain detail, then she asked Ivan about it, which he told her without quarter. She ate it all up. Ivan couldn't help but think that seeing his home with her made him see it in a new light that he always took for granted before, it was refreshing to see this city come alive in her eyes. Saving the best for last, Ivan brought her to the Winter Palace after normal closing hours.

"Are you sure this is alright?" Anna asked quietly as Ivan led her to a secret side entrance. Ivan simply smiled.

"Is alright! I helped build this place, you know? Is perfectly fine!" Anna's eyes widened in shock as he led her into the palace and down many dim hallways. Looking around at the hallways, Anna felt the need to be quiet as the aged atmosphere gave a closed off vibe despite the opulence and detail in the design.

"Seriously? What was it like, seeing it be built? What was Peter like? Did you know the Romanovs?" Anna asked rapidly. Ivan however, tensed noticeably at the last question. Oh, was this a touchy subject? Anna thought regretting her enthusiasm, until he replied.

"This palace has underwent many changes, I saw a lot of different faces go through here. Is a little hard to remember." Somehow, Anna thought he wasn't telling the truth. She decided not to push it. All of the sudden, they turned down a corner and Anna swore her heart stopped.

They had entered the great ballroom, looking exactly like in the film, only much cleaner. The atmosphere was still, despite how their footsteps echoed quietly through the air, and Anna was too afraid to even breathe much less move. Anna let go of Ivan's hand to gingerly touch the railing of the stairs, taking in the entire scene as the late afternoon light streamed through the large windows. Snow had started to fall, casting moving shadows on the floor. Slowly descending the stairs, Anna looked at the lavish portraits that lined the walls before turning back to face Ivan who was standing next to the top of the stairs, smiling down at her. Anna smiled back and despite herself, ran out to the middle of the ballroom and started twirling joyously, her mind lost in history as she pictured herself dressed in a flowing Imperial age gown, her hair pinned into a elegant updo as she danced the night away with noble after handsome noble…

Dancing lastly and most importantly, with Ivan. Dressed in an Imperial officers uniform with his scarf wrapped elegantly around his neck. It would suit him, she thought, starting to hum the opening notes of "Once Upon a December" to herself. Suddenly, a hand gently grabbed hers and pulled her flush against a large body. Ivan.

"You dance beautifully, da?" he said, looking down at her with a warm smile. Anna blushed and looked away from his gaze.

"Oh, not really… Kimberley is the dancer in our group… it's just, all my life I've read about history. But that's all I can do really. You? You've lived it, MADE it even. Sometimes, I wish I could really experience it for myself." she said wistfully. Ivan nodded thoughtfully before smiling brightly.

"Dance with me!" he announced. Before Anna had a chance to ask, Ivan positioned her arms in a traditional ballroom pose and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Wait! I've never danced like this! Plus there's no music!" Anna protested blushing deeply.

"Just follow me, da? And don't worry about music, is already playing!" and with that Ivan started leading Anna in a rather clumsy waltz. She was about to pull back out of embarrassment when she thought she heard something; the slight ring of a music box that was slowly playing somewhere in a corner of the room. The more she focused on it, the louder it became and their dancing soon became smoother. She looked up at Ivan, raising her brow in a silent question, what the hell was going on? Ivan only smiled before he suddenly twirled her under his arm twice. Anna wasn't expecting such a move and therefore stumbled over her own feet before falling into Ivan. When she pulled back, she gasped.

The room was suddenly full of people, the music now being played by a beautiful string quartet! Chandeliers were alight as snow fell from the night sky. Night? It was just late afternoon! Anna looked at Ivan in shock.

"What? How…?"

"Is just little trick we can do sometimes. This is my memory, of 1892 to be precise. It takes lot of energy to show you this, but I think is is good occasion, da?" Ivan replied beaming proudly. Anna's heart swelled, he did all this just for her? It was then that Anna took in Ivan's sudden change in appearance; the brown coat was replaced by a high collared decorated dark blue officers uniform, with gold decor on the shoulders and ends of the sleeves. A gold sash crossed his chest from his left shoulder to his waist while a white belt was fastened at his waist. Dark grey trousers were tucked into shiny black boots that went to his knees. And of course, his scarf was wrapped tightly around his neck.

"They weren't kidding about a man in uniform…" Anna murmured appreciatively. He looked, well… sexy as fuck for lack of a better words. Ivan laughed at her words.

"I'm glad you like. You look beautiful, Anya." he said, eyes full of adoration. Anna blushed deeply and looked down, gasping when she saw that her clothes had changed as well. She was dressed in a rich blue dress made of silk that flowed from her waist like a sleeves just hung off her shoulders, showing off her decolletage without being obscene and it was punctuated by a simple blue jewel pinned in the center. A simple choker wrapped around her neck while long white gloves adorned her arms. Even her hair was swept up into an elegant bun with a blue hair pin keeping it up while two curly strands framed her face. For the first time in her life, she felt like a princess. And loved it.

"Oh my goodness…" she whispered in disbelief before Ivan took her hand once again and began to lead her to the dance floor.

"Come, we have until song ends. I think you like this one, da?" he said once again getting into a ballroom position with her. Just then, the song changed to start playing "Once Upon a December." Almost immediately Ivan swept her across the floor in an elegant waltz, no longer clumsy or jerky as before. They moved together like clockwork, Anna's eyes never once leaving those of her partner's as the world around her was transformed into a carousel of colors. She didn't even question that this song wasn't even written until the 1990s, for, as with everything in this universe, anything was possible.

Ivan couldn't have been happier. His Anya looked like a queen in his eyes, dressed in the garments of old Russian royalty and dancing with him in his arms. He purposely made sure that his Imperial Anya had no makeup, never understanding why she insisted that she lined her eyes with black. To him, she was the most beautiful when her large blue eyes were clean and open like a mirror. Each moment he spent with her he loved her more. Yes, he could put a name to the burning in his heart whenever she was near and looking only at him. He loved her, craved her, needed her… and prayed that she needed him too.

Anna's breathed hitched when she saw a new glint in Ivan's eyes. It was punctuated when Ivan subtly pulled her closer to him and her heartbeat accelerated at the slightly possessive contact. The heat that had invaded his eyes could only be described as such; hungry. And to her surprise, the idea thrilled her to no extent.

As the music swelled towards it's end, Ivan twirled Anna away from him, her letting go of his hand as she twirled away a few steps to face him. The heated gaze bore into hers like cold fire, making her bite her bottom lip lightly in nervousness. She watched as he took one step forward before bowing elegantly at the waist. Remembering a certain detail from the movie, Anna curtsied lowly before going onto her knees and bowing her head lowly as the music faded. To her surprise, she was breathless.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed in that position, never wanting the beautiful dream to end, when a hand reached under her chin and gently pulled her face up to meet Ivan's still heated gaze. Their clothes and surroundings had returned to normal, the music and crowd once again a distant echo of the past. Anna rose slowly from her position, Ivan's hand never leaving her face, trying hard to slow her racing heartbeat and shallow breaths in case he noticed. He did, as a knowing smirk crept across his face.

Whether it was the heat of the moment or the rush of emotions going through Anna's head, she quickly wrapped her arms around the tall country's neck and smashed their lips together.

Despite Anna being the one that initiated it, Ivan quickly took control of the kiss. Threading his fingers through her hair, Ivan leaned her head back in order to deepen the kiss, smiling inwardly when she let out a small moan at the action. She gasped when she felt his tongue trace her bottom lip, inviting him to explore every corner of her cavern. Unsure of what to do, Anna gripped his shoulders tightly while she tried to combat his tongue with her own, however he quickly asserted his dominance in the matter with a small growl. She blamed her hormones, but the sound sent waves of heat through her body rather than fear. When air became too great a necessity, Ivan pulled back and started trailing kisses down her jawline and neck, pulling her closer by the waist so that no space existed between them. She shivered at such a needy action. Each kiss was featherlight and made Anna's head spin, and, caught up in the sensations, Anna gripped the base of Ivan's head by the hair and slid one daring hand under the scarf to lightly graze his neck.

This caused Ivan to gasp sharply and tense.

Scared that she had done something wrong, Anna quickly pulled back her hands and stepped away from him, still panting heavily. When he met her eyes again, they looked a little betrayed and shocked at her action, then all of the sudden her vision swam and changed to a different view.

It was snowing, hard, and she was running. Only, it wasn't her legs; these were smaller, quicker paced, almost like a child's. Was this someone else? She could feel this person's fear, the overwhelming need to run away overriding her senses as she felt their heartbeat race furiously in their chest. The person looked behind and up at the trees before running again. All of the sudden, she felt something wrap around her neck and yank back furiously, nearly giving her whiplash as whoever was running was thrown to the cold ground, gasping for air as they clawed at whatever was fastly tightening around their neck.

'Stop, please, I can't breathe!' a child's voice rang in her head. She could feel their lungs burning for air as whoever held the rope started dragging them back. The rope cut and burned causing the child, and her, to scream in pain. The person was dressed in Asian garb with a long black braid going down their back, Mongolia?

All of the sudden the rope went slack and Mongolia ran off as two small girls ran up to them. Ukraine and Belarus…? That must mean…!

"Russia!" Ukraine yelled frightened as she pulled the rope off of their, Russia's, neck. A flash of white filled Anna's vision and she was suddenly back in the Winter Palace ballroom, somehow on the floor, sitting up and grabbing her neck while gasping for air. Ivan was right next to her, worried and trying to help her relax.

"Мне жаль!* I didn't mean to scare you, is just reflex!" Ivan soothed, rubbing her shoulders as she caught her breath. Of all times for her to accidentally touch his neck... Anna shook her head before looking up at him.

"No it was my fault, I didn't mean to touch you there! I could have done without that vision though…" she said with a half smile, trying to reassure him. He looked at her in confusion.

"What vision?" he asked. Anna looked up at him in shock, did he not show her that?

"I saw you… or rather, I was you, when you were a kid… Mongolia… he caught you…" she said, starting to choke up as she remembered just how scared young Russia was as air was slowly being cut off from his system. How could anyone treat a child like a fucking piece of livestock? Even if he was a Nation? Grasping her neck, Anna struggled to keep her breathing under control while tears threatened to spill. Ivan's eyes widened as it dawned on him what she was saying, his hand grabbing the ends of his scarf on reflex. Only his sisters knew what had happened that day, how could Anna have seen that memory? Was it when she touched him? Or when he looked at her? Ivan started to panic as the memories started to come forth but all of the sudden, Anna threw her arms around him and started stroking the back of his head, like how one would comfort a child.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry that you were treated that way! But you survived, you made it through everything." she said softly as if sensing his growing fear. Ivan relaxed in her hold and leaned in more into her touch.

"Da, in the end, I only become stronger." he said more to himself. Anna chuckled at that before going serious again.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked tentatively, still stroking his head. Ivan shook his head no.

"Is just sensitive." he replied. Anna nodded a bit, not wanting to let go of Ivan in fear that he could break down, but he pulled back from her embrace and smiled down at her.

"Come, let's go home, da?" he said getting up from the ground and holding his hand out to her. Anna took it and let him raise her to her feet before leaning up on her toes to peck him on the cheek.

"Yeah, let's go home."

As the pair left the palace hand in hand, they were oblivious as a dark pair of eyes watched them with a scowl on his face. The fucking Commie would never leave her out of his sight! Plus, General Winter had decided to come early! Already, the girl was showing signs of Changing. If they didn't get her soon, she would be lost to them and the Nations would have another powerful ally on their side. They must get her at all cost… or else their planning and dreams will all be for naught.

 **AN: Sorry that it got a little angsty at the end! This is just my thoughts over why Russia is obsessed with having his neck covered, what do you think? Also, what do you think of the Nation's being able to project memories like that? That ability will become important later on! Why does Hive want Anna, what is she changing into? Stay tuned to find out, and keep on with those reviews! Lots o luv ;) 3**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: New chap! This one touches a lot of bases, like what is happening to Anna and delves a little bit into her past. Maybe now we'll understand why she's slightly off kilter? Read to find out!**

The next couple days were uneventful, save for the excessive touring and travelling they did together. Each day Ivan would take her to a new city or landmark, show her everything her heart desired, before they returned home where he had started teaching her how to cook different Russian recipies. During the evenings they sat together by the fire, sometimes on the couch, other times on the floor, snuggling close together while they talked about everything and nothing. Sometimes it was about politics, other times they continued the question game, some times they spoke of life and death, where they see the world in a few decades or so, or just some of their favorite stories about their friend's antics. Anna couldn't have been happier, than when she was curled against Ivan's side while he stroked her hair, the fire crackling comfortably as the hours ticked by. She started to think of him as her boyfriend somewhere along the road, though neither of them brought it up. They just, didn't feel the need to. It was obvious that they were together without words being said. Still, thinking Ivan as her boyfriend had Anna squealing to herself at night right before she went to sleep.

One day, a package had arrived from Italy. He had managed to pull some strings with some contacts back home to get Anna's belongings shipped to her. Just in time too, as that very evening the skies darkened at General Winter's influence, a second blizzard blowing through the land. That night, after Ivan had helped her carry her stuff to her room and kissed her good night, Anna started to unpack the large box.

Clothes? Check. Makeup? Check. Laptop? Thank the high heavens that it wasn't damaged or stolen! Letter?

Wait. Letter?

On top of a stack of haphazardly folded socks was a letter addressed to her from Italy.

 _Dear Anna,_

 _Ciao! I hope that your stuff made it to you alright! I'm sorry that I couldn't get it to you sooner, but Germany wouldn't let me use the phone to call my friends! I had to sneak behind his back while he was at a meeting with his bosses! Oh well._

 _Things at Germany's house have been pretty crazy lately. Romano isn't all that happy about being here, though he generally isn't all that happy usually, and I'm starting to worry about Lud- I mean Germany's increasing migraines. He really needs to take a siesta more often. Oh, might as well say it, Germany's real name is Ludwig, like that one composer!_

Anna laughed to herself at this, every true Hetalia fan already knew of the countries's human names. However, she respected that it was probably a very personal thing for each of them and was content to call them by their country name unless they said otherwise.

 _I'm very worried about Big Brother, he spends a lot of time locked in his room. He won't even eat pasta most of the time! That's just horrible!_

She cringed when she read that line, an Italian not eating pasta? Sacrilege!

 _I think Big Brother Spain's abduction has got him really down in the dumps. He doesn't blame you (okay, maybe he does but I don't think he really means it) so don't worry! We're working hard to try and find him, every one of us! I hope you write or call us sometime, it's so fun talking with you. I hope you're doing alright at Mr. Russia's house, that guy is scary! You are so brave…_

"Nope, just insane…" she said to herself laughing.

… _and amazing, I am glad that we are friends!_

 _Love,_

 _Italy Veneziano, a.k.a. Feliciano Vargas_

 _P.S. I had some of that wine you liked so much shipped with your stuff, save it for something special, si? Ciao!_

Anna smiled and folded the letter neatly before putting it safely in the top desk drawer. When this snow clears I'll write back, she thought. Reaching into the box she pulled out the aforementioned bottle of red wine and placed it on her desk, planning to save it for a rainy (or rather, snowy) day! Man, the Italians certainly knew their stuff when it comes to wine, she didn't even like red wine before going to Italy. While she let her laptop charge, she started putting her others clothes and items in the wardrobe next to the ones already there when she heard the tell tale sign of a Skype call. Checking the ID, she saw that it was Kaitlyn. With everything that had been going on, she had nearly forgotten about her friends. They must be worried!

"Anna, please tell me that you're still alive and that I didn't suddenly develop a sixth sense! I have no desire to see dead people." Kaitlyn said the moment Anna opened the window.

"Easy there Haley Joel Osment. I'm still alive, and currently in Mother Russia." Anna said smiling. Kaitlyn looked shocked.

"Really? I thought you wouldn't be in Russia until tomorrow, that's what you told us right?" she asked.

"Yeah, well, things got complicated…." With that Anna recounted her encounter with the mysterious Hive and how they ended up kidnapping Spain ("By the way, you all owe me ten bucks; Spamano is real!" she said beaming brightly. Kaitlyn cursed under her breath) and how she herself almost taken as well. Then when it came to her escape….

"Annabelle Louise Colins! You utter psychopath, how could you be so insane as to jump out of an airborne craft, without a parachute?!" Kaitlyn scolded loudly. Anna shrunk back like a child being scolded for being caught stealing a cookie out of the jar.

"What have I said about using my full first name?" she groaned. Yes, 'Anna' was just a nickname. Shut up.

"No, you don't deserve to be called anything else right now! I swear, sometimes you act like a reckless child! Anyways, how did you even survive?" Kaitlyn asked, eyebrows still furrowed in frustration.

"It was either the jump or a bullet to the brain! This guy was freakin' scary! Besides, did you think it was an easy decision? You know my fear of heights," she retorted, Kaitlyn nodding in acknowledgement, the anger disappearing from her face "but I ended up being saved by General Winter. Yeah, I know, crazy!" she said as Kaitlyn looked at her in surprise.

"Wow, that's something you don't hear every day."

"This whole situation is pretty unbelievable to be fair. Anyways, he kinda left me in the middle of a frozen wasteland right before a blizzard hit. I almost died of hypothermia, but somehow my dumb luck made sure that I finally collapsed right at Ivan's front door."

"Jesus… You certainly have someone up there looking out for ya. So, Ivan huh?" Kaitlyn remarked, the telltale smirk appearing on her face. Anna rolled her eyes but smiled regardless.

"Yeah, somehow we ended up together…. go on, ten seconds of freak out. Go." Anna deadpanned while Kaitlyn squealed on behalf of her friend. After ten seconds, Kaitlyn caught her breath but still remained giddy.

"I'm so happy for you! I mean, yeah, he's the physical embodiment of an authoritarian federation that always seems to be teasing at war with the rest of the world… but! I'm sure you guys can make it work! How are you going to stay in contact when you get back here though?" Kaitlyn asked. Anna flushed a bit red at this and looked away.

"Actually… I don't think I'll be coming home." she said after a moment's pause. Kaitlyn looked at her in shock and confusion.

"What do you mean? Can you even do that? What about the university? Your parents? Us? Are you really going to leave that all behind for a guy and for some people in another universe?"

"Hey, weren't you happy for me just a second ago?"

"I am! I mean it, to be honest I love that you and Russia-"

"Ivan."

"Ivan, are getting close. But, what if it doesn't work out? Also, you're human! They don't age like us Anna, eventually you're going to get your heart broken." Anna felt a stab in her chest when she heard those words. To be honest, she never really gave much thought to those things before. She was too caught up in her romantic haze, which really wasn't like her. However…

"You do have a point, and it does raise a lot of difficulties. But, I think it's not that black and white…"

"What do you mean?"

"I think, I don't know because this sounds a bit crazy, but I'm almost sure that I'm meant to be here for some reason. Like, permanently." Kaitlyn raised a quizzical brow.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Well, for one there's the fact that I was summoned here, by someone not England. That guy from Hive said that they were responsible, but given what the others have told me about them, I don't believe it for a second. Then, there's the thing about General Winter saving me. He wouldn't even carry Russia when he jumped, yet he carried me, a human, to safety? That's weird." Anna stated, going through all she knew about the situation. Kaitlyn grasped her chin thoughtfully and pondered for a moment.

"You do raise a point, and you know that I don't believe in coincidences." she reasoned. Anna nodded.

"Exactly! Plus, something happened when Ivan took me to see the Winter Palace this week."

"What exactly?"

"I don't know how to describe it, but Ivan and I were having a bit of a… moment," Anna said blushing slightly at the memory, "when I touched his neck on accident. The next thing I knew, it was like I was reliving one of Ivan's memories through his point of view. And I wasn't just watching either, I felt what he felt at the time and felt his pain when he got hurt. It was so weird! And later that day, when I got ready to have a shower, I saw a mark on my body where he had gotten hurt. It faded away right after, but damn! It was so trippy."

"Woah… that's weird. Does Ivan have that mark still?"

"I would only assume so, he never exposes his neck, you know that. Although…" Anna trailed off as her thoughts started running over the past couple days since that incident.

"Although… what?" Kaitlyn asked waiting for Anna to continue.

"I think he's gotten better about that. Like, the next day he didn't wear a scarf at all, just a turtleneck. And, sometimes when we're cuddling he lets me fit my head on top of his shoulder in a way so that if I wanted to, I could just lean up and peck or nuzzle his neck. It's almost as if the emotional trauma behind that injury is starting to fade." Anna explained.

"I see. Do you think it has something to do with you?" Kaitlyn inquired, causing Anna to shrug.

"Maybe, I'm not too sure."

"What was the memory even about?"

"Mongolia. The Mongol Empire invaded Kievan Rus' in the 13th century, destroying numerous cities, including Ryazan, Kolomna, Moscow, Vladimir, and Kiev, part of the Mongol invasion of Europe.The campaign was heralded by the Battle of the Kalka River in 1223, which resulted in a Mongol victory over the forces of several Rus' principalities. The Mongols nevertheless retreated. A full-scale invasion of Rus' by Batu Khan followed, from 1237 to 1240. The invasion was ended by the Mongol succession process upon the death of Ögedei Khan. All Russian states were forced to submit to Mongol rule and became part of the Golden Horde empire, some of which lasted until invasion, facilitated by the beginning breakup of Kievan Rus' in the 13th century, had incalculable ramifications for the history of Eastern Europe, including the division of the East Slavic people into three separate nations, modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus,[2] and in the rise of the Grand Duchy of Moscow." Anna recited as if she was suddenly in one of her history lectures. Kaitlyn leaned back with a wide, blank expression.

"Okay this Miss History Channel, didn't need the whole story, but that was interesting." she said looking a tad creeped out. Anna shook her head and blinked several times, what the hell was that?

"Sorry, didn't know what came over me there…" she said rubbing her temple.

"Don't worry, I'm used to it by now. So, do you think you're changing?" Kaitlyn asked. Anna gave heavy sigh.

"If I am, what am I changing into? Or Who?" she asked more to herself. Kaitlyn only shook her head.

"Beats me. Well, it looks really late over there. Why don't you sleep on it, then just email me later, kay?" Kaitlyn suggested with a warm smile. Count on Kate to have the best advice when it's needed, Anna thought happily.

"Yeah. Talk to you later. Tell Tris and Kimberly hi for me!"

"Always!. Good night!"

"Night!" and with that Kaitlyn hung up and Anna shut her laptop closed. Emotionally and physically drained, Anna quickly got ready for bed and quickly got under the covers. She still kept the light on, the wind outside still unnerved her greatly, but tonight that wasn't what kept her tossing and turning.

Everything that she and Kaitlyn had just discussed was unsettling. Why was some random history geek summoned here? And how was she able to see into Russia's past like that? Would it work with other countries? She was certain that almost every country had some sort of scar or mark leftover from key points in their history, did all it take was a simple touch to see where they came from? It was the only way to tell what was happening, and thankfully, there was a perfect opportunity coming up to test her theory.

There was a G8 meeting being held in Moscow to discuss what to do with Hive in three days. When Ivan got the call she begged to let her come with, under the guise that she stay out of the meeting room itself but within close range at all times. It would have to be something minor, she wasn't sure how much pain she could endure just to glimpse into a country's memory. Then another thing, what the heck happened to her just now? Yeah, she was an expert on Russian history, but she sounded like google search engine just now. Running it through her head, she was surprised just how...easy all the facts and details surrounding the Mongol rule of Russia came to her. Even on her best days she'd have to ponder a bit before even getting half as much detailed an answer as that.

Was this why she was summoned? Why she was targeted?

Maybe I should just sleep, she thought. With that in mind, she closed her eyes and eventually drifted off.

…

This wasn't the first time Anna had this dream.

She was sitting at her desk, writing her thesis for her Masters degree when she suddenly got a request to Skype. Go on, pick it up! Please, it's important! She urged her younger self. However, just before whenever she had this dream, her younger self just ignored it.

The scene changed. She was sitting in the hospital in Vancouver, WA, having literally just got off the plane. She was frantic, shaking her leg. A flash of an IV. A flash of a bruised male face. A flash of tears. The chaos once again settled until she was at her desk again, once again getting a Skype call. This time she answered it.

"I'm sorry…" a distant male voice said, the face on the screen blurry. There was a flash of a boy with blonde hair falling from a ledge, a look of fear plastered on his face as he fell ten stories towards his death.

A gun shot went off, Dream Anna as Real Anna woke up panting.

Of all times, why did she have to dream of _that_?

…

Having seen Moscow earlier that week, Anna was a lot more relaxed this time as they drove into the city. That didn't mean she didn't squeal from excitement whenever the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral came into view (that's the building that looks like ice cream cones for you Americans). In fact, they were heading into the Kremlin now where all the other countries in the G8 would be meeting. She couldn't wait to see her friends again! As they entered the meeting room, she was pleased to see Germany, Japan, and Italy already there.

"Anna!" the loud cheerful voice of Italy called. This time, Anna was ready for his hug and returned it happily.

"It's great to see you Feli- WAH! PUT ME DOWN!" she started to say before he suddenly picked her up and twirled her around. He quickly set her back down but kept her in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Likewise! Can you let me go now? I got to hug other people." Anna said laughing while trying to break from his death grip. Bashfully he let her go just as England and France entered the room.

"Ohonhon, ma chèrie! It's such a gift to meet again, how cruel time can be to keep us apart!" France swooped in with some unknown wind billowing through his hair before he grabbed her and dipped her low to the floor, causing her to squeak.

"Good to see you too, but if you don't let me go now your brains are going to end up on the walls." Anna greeted through a strained smile.

"Aw, zhere's no need to be so mean…" France whined.

"I didn't mean me…" Anna pointed behind him. France turned and turned white as Russia stood right behind him, a dark aura surrounding his form as he muttered "kolkolkolkokol…." under his breath. Anna found herself quickly stood upright and spinning (literally, and quite rapidly) away from France as he threw her away from him before retreating from a far corner of the room. Thankfully, England caught her just as she tripped over her feet and fell backwards.

"Are you alright?" he asked helping her up. Anna dusted herself off and made sure Ivan didn't kill the Frenchie. Thankfully, he stopped saying "kolkolkol..." but the icy glare remained. Anna blushed a little bit, Ivan was so cute when he was jealous! Of course, only she would think that, she thought.

"I'm fine, nice catch. It's great to see you again Arthur." she said before giving the gentleman a hug. Arthur flinched at the unexpected action, but nonetheless returned her embrace.

"I'm glad to see you too. How are things faring for you? I hope you've been treated well." he asked after pulling away.

"Are you kidding me? I freakin' love it here! Y'all need to chilax, Russia's actually a pretty chill dude… oh no!" Anna exclaimed in horror clasping her hands over her mouth. Arthur looked at her in confusion while Germany and Japan regarded the two of them curiously. Did she just say…?

"Um, are you alright…?" Arthur asked.

"Crap, not now! Where's America?" Anna asked looking around for the aforementioned country.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"It's been too long since I last had fast food! When that happens I start going… full American." she said, whispering the last part as if it were a jix. Which in this world, it is as everyone pulled back in shock. An ominous chord played just as America walked through the door, followed by a ghostly Canada.

"What's with the creepy music eh?" Canada asked softly. America just shrugged.

"What's this about 'going full American?'" America asked.

"There's one rule that my friends and I have about going full American… and dude, it's like totally freaky whenever either one of us totally loses it- CRAP!" Anna stated before clasping her mouth shut again.

"Which would be…?" Germany asked carefully. Anna turned to glare at him, eyes wide with fear.

"When it comes to going full American, NEVER, go full American. That is the sacred law that guides KITKA. Yo, America, got any fries?" she asked approaching the country. Within an instant he shoved a bucket full of Mackies fries into her hands, which she started eating quickly. For the love of everything greasy and salty, this was divine! And way too close a call…!

"Who's KITKA?" Japan asked.

"Oh, that was the original name for our group, it's just our first initials; Kaitlyn, Tris, Kimberly, and Anna." she replied, happily munching on fries.

"Um… what about the 'I'?" Italy asked curiously. Anna stopped munching and froze as the smile dropped from her face.

"Oh… they… they're no longer with us…" she said sadly as memories of a certain male started to flash through her head. This was not the best time for this! Luckily, England and Japan seemed to catch her mood.

"I understand, I aporogize for your rossu." Japan said solemnly. Anna merely shrugged and smiled forcefully.

"It was a while ago, but thank you! So, what's on the agenda today boys? And doesn't Romano come to these meetings, ya know, being half of Italy and all?" she asked.

"He's just hanging around outside… didn't feel like going to this meeting…" Italy replied. Anna nodded in understanding.

"I see, maybe I'll go keep him company then while you guys sort things out?"

"That is not a good idea…" Germany warned.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"He may or may not try to strangle you once he sees you…" Italy said embarrassed. Anna cringed slightly.

"Yikes, still mad then?"

"Si."

"Right, I think it's time we get on! My apologies Anna, but strictly G8 members only, if only for security." England said starting to usher her outside.

"And that includes any Mission Impossible type spying!" America added with a wink, causing Anna to laugh.

"Alright, on my word, no air vents this time!" Let me know what happens after, okay? And try not to kill each other or ignore Canada!" she exclaimed.

"Who?" America asked.

"Canada, your brother! Carries a polar bear, likes pancakes a lot…?" Anna listed before the lightbulb went off in his head. And to think she's actually related to that idiot…

"Stay close Anya!" Ivan pleaded. Anna smiled sweetly and nodded.

"I'll just be out here Ivan! See you soon!" she parted blowing him a kiss, which shocked the other countries. What the heck went on between these two since they last spoke?

With that, the door was shut behind her and she was left to her own devices. Might as well finish these fries!

 **AN: Reviews much appreciated! ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: New chappie for you folks! I may or may not update twice this time, depending on when I finish the next chapter. Things get revealed in this chapter, or more like clarified ;) Onwards!**

"First thing's first, everyone report on vhat they have discovered regarding Hive's movements. Once ve've established any general patterns, then ve can discuss movements. America, how did questioning the prisoner go?" Germany asked. America rubbed his forehead in frustration, uncharacteristically low in energy.

"Dude, that guy is one tough cookie. We even threatened to reopen Camp X-Ray just for him but he ain't talkin.' Only thing he would say is that 'it doesn't matter what we do to him, we're all doomed.' Friggin' kill joy…." he grumbled.

"I see. Italy, do you have any idea vhere the plane vas headed after they took Miss Colins?" The Italian shrunk in his chair and shook his head.

"It's like I said before, they just disappeared off the radar!"

"They crash landed not far from my home, I think they were heading East." Russia interjected.

"Is it possibru that they're hored up somewhere in the Middre East? Due to rising conflicts with ISIS, they could easiry escape our watch." Japan suggested.

"Japan may have a point, any group wanting to avoid capture could easily blend into the chaos, however-" England started to say.

"Guys, I really don't think that folks with the kind of tech they're carrying could hide in the Middle East. Any one of those terrorist groups could have gotten their hands on it!" Anna finished from the other side of the large double doors of the conference room. Everyone present sweatdropped.

"Yes, thank you Anna, I was just about to say that. Um, Anna, when I said countries only, I was being serious I'm afraid…" England said awkwardly.

"Awww, come on!" She whined.

"No, England is right. Vhy don't you go down to the cafeteria or lobby for a bit?" Germany suggested, a little annoyed that the girl was being extremely nosy despite her insight.

"Well, for starters, I just ate a whole pound of fried, salty heaven and can barely bother to move from the floor," Anna said, causing France, England and Germany to roll their eyes while America just chuckled, "and second, since these guys are like, trying to kidnap me and all, shouldn't I have a little say in this? Besides, what if one of them tries to nab be while I'm gone?"

"I'm sure you'll be alright…" Germany groaned.

"Is okay Anya, you're safe here!" Russia reassured with a smile, even though she couldn't see it. Anna made a point of sighing melodramatically before getting up off the floor with a groan.

"Fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted. Laters! Oi, security guard guy? Where can a girl get a decent pot of tea around here? I can feel my British blood screaming in agony after all those fries…." Anna said as she walked away, her voice trailing off as she went on about tea. England shook his head smiling, American and English rolled into one person, such a potent yet weird mix!

"That's the third time she's asked for tea today. She's only been staying with me for over a week but she's went through more boxes than I do in a year!" Russia remarked awkwardly.

"Tea is life!" Anna shouted from down the hall before finally departing, earning a hearty laugh from England.

"I may not be zhe first to say zhis, but zhat girl is just weird." France exclaimed shaking his head.

"I like her! She's so nice and very funny!" Italy added smiling brightly.

"She certainly is a pleasure to be around, I quite liked having her as a guest for a bit." England commented, flinching when Russia fixed an icy glare towards the Briton.

"I agree, she is a pleasant person, though, I agree with France for once. She is a little bonkers." Germany affirmed, despite the indignant shout he got from the Frenchman.

"Dude, she like totally kicked France's butt before! Plus she jumped from a plane without a parachute! That's bad ass!" America exclaimed excitedly.

"That sounds dangerous…" Canada commented quietly. Of course no one heard him.

"I do not care, I like my Anna with a little bit of fire in her blood…" France remarked laughing pervertedly.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the lobby Anna sneezed for the third time in the last five minutes.

"You okay Miss?" the security guard who accompanied her asked as he brought her a tray of tea. Anna glanced up at the ceiling and raised a brow.

"Yeah, either someone is talking about me or France just said something perverted. Remind me to beat his ass- hey, put the milk in first!" Anna shouted before the poor guard could commit a teatime sin. Back in the conference room, Russia currently had France pinned to a wall while the combined efforts of America, Germany and England tried to pry him off.

"Refer to _my_ sunflower as yours again I will paint the snow red with your blood, da?" Russia threatened, a dark smile plastered on his face.

"Dude, chill out! We don't have time for this!" America shouted successfully prying Russia's grip from France's throat. The man slid down the wall gasping for breath before crawling away. No girl was worth getting almost killed for!

"America is right for once, we need to get back on track!" England said firmly helping America to coerce the taller country back into his chair. Once France managed to crawl back into his chair Germany took his position at head of the table.

"Right! Now to get back to things…" Germany announced.

"Hey, she did kinda raise a point earlier. These Hive guys sure seem keen about getting their hands on her. Wonder why's that?" America asked.

"Hm… hey, I was just thinking about something!" Italy declared, earning seven surprised and curious glares.

"Go on?" Germany encouraged cautiously.

"Well, didn't she say she was from another universe and all? Do you think that makes her physically different from us?" Italy offered. Seven wide stares went to seven looks of shock. Except for Russia, who just looked on curiously. Did Italy just, say something useful? At a meeting no less?!

"What, what are you guys looking at?" Italy asked confused. England was the first to shake himself from his stupor.

"Right, well, you raise an interesting point… Italy… though, why would you say that?" he asked.

"Don't you notice that she seems to get injured more easily than the rest of us? If any one of us were caught in a blizzard we'd be okie dokie! But she nearly froze to death in a matter of hours, si? What if Hive wants to use her to make us that vulnerable?" Italy reasoned, further shocking the rest of the G8 when he actually opened his eyes, yes you read that correctly, opened his eyes, while he spoke. Yet again, he spoke some sense for once! Who is this, and where was Italy?! Then Russia stood up suddenly, uncharacteristically fuming.

"My Anya is NOT vulnerable!" he declared loudly, causing everyone in the room to jump and for poor Italy to quickly hide behind Germany's legs shivering (there's our Italy). Okay, this whole meeting has gone for the Twilight Zone…

"Dude, Russia, are you okay?" America asked, tensing up at Russia's rare show of genuine emotion. Russia turned to glare at the American before slipping behind his emotionless mask once again.

"Da, I'm okay, why you ask?" he replied calmly. America shivered slightly, that was more unnerving than the Ruski normally was!

"I dunno, you're acting kinda weird lately, ever since you and Anna started rooming together...:" The American replied.

"Really? I don't notice…"

"You're not wearing your scarf Russia-san, is it not armost December?" Japan asked. On reflex Russia reached up to grasp his scarf, which as Japan mentioned, wasn't there. He looked down and strangely didn't seem all that bothered...

"Oh, so I'm not. Very weird…" he said thoughtfully, before a thought hit him "Hey, mister England? Can I ask you something?" The Briton started at this and gulped quietly.

"Of course."

"Is Anya one of your magical creatures?" Russia asked in all seriousness. America didn't even try to hide his scoff while England just blankly stared.

"No. I can guarantee that she is just a normal human…." England deadpanned.

"No way, something weird happen the other day and I want to know if you can shed some light."

"Oh?"

"Da, I Projected a memory for her in Winter Palace the other day. Soon after she touched my neck and she managed to see one of my memories."

"You Projected for her? Dude, you know that's dangerous for a normal human! Even I'm not dumb enough to do that willy nilly!" America yelled in all seriousness.

"So you admit you're stupid then?" England remarked with a condescending smirk.

"Shuddup limey! That's not what I meant!" America retorted angrily.

"America has a point, that vas quite risky. I'm sure that vhatever happened vas just a side effect…" Germany started to dismiss but Russia shook his head.

"нет, this was different. She saw completely different memory, when mister Mongolia used to bully me." England and America stopped arguing to look at Russia in shock.

"Hang on, you mean to say she just touched a certain part of your skin and saw one of your worst memories?" England asked.

"How the hell did she even get close enough to touch your neck, or even reach?" America commented loudly.

Downstairs, Anna felt her eyebrow twitch involuntarily.

"Did someone just call me short?" she asked to herself, before shrugging and resuming drinking her tea. Then something outside caught her eye…

Returning upstairs, Russia was smiling almost smugly when he answered

"We made out, da!" England almost spit out his tea while America recoiled from shock, ending up falling from his chair. France looked like he was about to faint while the former Axis powers just stared with wide and slightly horrified eyes (except for Italy who looked like a kicked puppy). Canada on the other hand muttered a faint "Maple leeeeaf…." under his breath while shivering from shock.

"Dude… You and Anna, are dating? Like... dating?" America asked as he tried to right himself. Russia simply smiled.

"Right, well, what you do behind closed doors is none of our business of course. However, as to what you said before, I may have a small idea…" England said straightening himself out. Everyone by this point had gotten over the shock and were training their gazes towards the Briton, waiting for him to explain.

"It's a rather old legend, so much so that it's considered a myth even in the most dark of occult circles. It speaks of four special personifications that represent the different variables of culture itself, those variables being History and Legacy, Language and Literature, Cuisine and Tradition, and finally Arts and Music. Each one is said to have a specific duty in regards to any nation they meet, and for the being of History, it was their job to record, maintain, and bear the burdens of the world's history. To protect it from being changed or erased, and to help the future generations learn from past mistakes and atrocities." England lectured, the others listening intently to his tale. Silence fell over the room as he finished, each country contemplating over what England had just said.

Until America broke the tension.

"So, you're saying that this History guy is like the shrink for Nations, right?" Count on America boil everything down to its most simple essence. England sighed and restrained himself from throwing something at the Yank's head.

"If it's what your tiny brain can comprehend, then yes, you can say that." England all but grit out. America shot a dirty look at the insult while Japan asked

"So, do you think it's possibru that Anna-san is this speciaru personification?"

"There is a very small possibility, though I would need to see for myself to be sure. If she can look into any of our history like she did with Russia..." England started to say before Russia slammed his fist on the table.

"нет!" Russia spat out, causing everyone else to look at him. Italy however, soon got distracted by a noise outside and he went to the window to see what was happening. He flinched and started trembling.

"Beg pardon?" England questioned.

"Um, guys…?" Italy motioned out the window but no one heard him, except for Canada who floated on over to see what was wrong.

"Whatever happened before, hurt Anya. I will not let my Anya get hurt!"

"Even if it would solve our current problem?" England reasoned.

"I will not allow it."

"Dude, isn't that her choice?" America said, glaring at the Russian. Other countries nodded in agreement.

"I agree with America, it is apparent that Anna-san is going through a crisis as of rate. I think it would be beneficaru if she found out for herseruf." Japan nodded.

"Guys..?" Italy once again motioned, ignored once again.

"Indeed, I think we can all agree that Anna sudden appearance in our world is mysterious, if we can figure out what her purpose is in this, then we can both help her and put a stop to Hive for good." England said. Russia narrowed his eyes at the Briton.

"She is just normal girl, we can not ask her of this." He almost pleaded.

"Mon cher Russe, you are letting your personal feelings cloud zhe issue. You said for yourself zhat she is strong, non? Whatever happens to her, should be her choice." France said placing a hand on Russia's shoulder, only to pull it back when Russia sent an evil glare his way.

"I never thought I'd say this, but France is right…." Germany started to say.

"GUYS!" Italy all but shouted, flailing his arms about.

"Vhat is it Italy?!" Germany demanded angrily over being interrupted.

"Big Brother and Anna are being attacked!" Italy wailed pointing out the window.

Almost immediately all countries present rushed to the window to see three men in black who looked like brainless thugs cornering Anna, who was standing protectively in front of a cowering Romano with what looked like a broom handle in her hand. One of the thugs had a knife drawn.

"I won't let you fuckers touch him!" they heard her yell angrily.

Then she charged at the leader with a battle cry that echoed throughout the plaza.

 **AN: Dun dun dun, cliffhanger!**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Omg, a second update so soon! It get's dark in this chapter and fairly graphic, so warnings ahead.**

Flashing back a few minutes to when Anna noticed something outside after America made rude comment about her height.

Anna leaned forward in her chair to see Romano being ganged on by a group of thugs just at the beginning of the plaza. Glancing once at the security guard to see that he was distracted with another group of guards, Anna quickly grabbed her coat and scarf and headed for the door. Protective instincts raging, she glanced to her right to see a janitor's buggy with a large broom resting against it. It was a screw on type, so she quickly removed the head before heading out the door and across the courtyard towards Romano.

Anna Colins: State Judo champion, trained in bowstaff combat.

"Oi, is there a problem here?" she demanded approaching from behind Romano. The Italian's expression only darkened at the sight of her; yup, still angry. The three thugs towered over her, two of them with short dark hair and shades while the third, the leader she presumed, was blond with icy blue eyes and a jackal like smirk plastered on his face.

"Move along little girl, we were just chatting wizh our friend here." the blonde sneered. Anna's eyebrow twitched at the 'little' comment, but she contained herself for the time being.

"What's a frog like you doing all the way out here?" she questioned.

"Buzz off sadist bitch, I didn't ask you to…" Romano started to push her away but she stood firm.

"Like fucking hell, I ain't leaving you. Now, I ask you 'gentlemen' again, what do you want?" she demanded the three, sarcasm and contempt dripping from her tone.

"Zhis litte faggot bumped into us wizhout apologizing, we want him to apologize!" one of the other thugs grunted. What was with all the Frenchies? Who cares.

"I don't need to do jack shit!" Romano protested, to which Anna nodded in agreement as she stood in front of the Italian protectively. Which looked hilarious to the three as he was almost a whole head taller than she.

"This is hardly the place for a confrontation, at the very center of Russian government. I suggest you move along unless you want to cause a scene." Anna said icily brandishing her makeshift staff in warning. The blond frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"No commie is going to save a little faggot like him or his pazhetic midget friend, don't you know anyzhing about Russia? Besides, what can you do with a little stick?" he jeered. Anna let something akin to a growl pass her lips as she tried to control her anger. This asshat was getting too close to breaking _that_ Rule...

"Call me short or him a faggot one more time and I'll show you, you ape," she threatened, "and when will anyone get this right, Russia is a fucking federation?!"

"Good, I was hoping to do zhis zhe hard way…" Blondie drawled before snapping his fingers. The other two thugs charged at the two, Romano quickly retreating while Anna stood her ground. Twirling the staff above her head, Anna pivoted and caught the guy on the right on the side of the rib, smirking when she heard a satisfying break in his body. Following through with the motion, Anna spun and grabbed the staff with both hands, planting her feet before she lunged and jabbed the other guy right in the face. He recoiled in pain, grabbing his nose which was now badly broken, the other guy grabbing his side as he retreated slightly and snarled.

"Got anything else blondie? I haven't got all day, and you're attracting attention." Anna chided. Indeed, a small crowd had started to gather and look at what was happening. Police cars even started to pull up at this point. This didn't seem to faze the blond. In fact, he almost seemed to revel in the attention.

"We're just getting started little bitch. Maintenant!" he barked. All of the sudden, the guy who Anna broke the rib off brandished a knife while the other pulled out a strange looking device that looked like something out of Buck Rogers and Back to the Future II's corrupted love-child. Anna almost didn't comprehend when a hand grabbed her roughly by the back of her coat.

"Watch out!" Romano yelled as he threw her back, just as the guy on the left fired the strange device. All of the sudden a bright green light emitted from the end and struck Romano square in the side, causing him to cry out in pain and collapse.

"Romano!" Anna shrieked as she crawled over to the Italian. His eye's were open yet unfocused, as if lost in a horrid dream as he convulsed violently for a moment. She tried to help him to his feet as the three thugs prepared for their third attack.

"What zhe hell is wrong wizh you?! You were supposed to get zhe girl!" Blondie reprimanded the two others. It all clicked for Anna.

"You guys are from Hive, aren't you? What the fuck did you do to him?!" Anna spat out. Are they getting desperate, trying to get her while she was at the bloody Kremlin?! And what the hell are the police doing?!

"He's lost in a dream, it will wear off eventually. Zhe tomato loving freak, boy did he scream, kept calling out for his petit 'Lovi…' Fucking queer, got what he deserved. Come along, we'll bring the macaroni faggot wizh you." Blondie spat, the last part more to himself. Anna heard it clear as day as a toll went off in her head, the unspoken Rule now officially broken. Romano gave a particular violent spasm as Spain was mentioned, causing a painful lump to form in her throat. When her eyes fell on the Hive agents currently having them cornered, she snarled.

"I won't let you fuckers touch him!" and with that she charged at the three. Anger and adrenaline turned her into a winding blur of black and red, the two underlings unable to catch clear sight of her as she ducked and weaved in between their punches. All they could see was the red ends of her scarf flying behind her like the wings of death. She appeared behind one thug midair, swinging her staff to strike him in the soft part of the neck. He fell like a log as she charged the one carrying a knife.

This guy was more daring, moving in to stab at her side, which she blocked with her staff. A deep indent was cut into the wood, she'd have to avoid clashing with the blade as much as possible, otherwise she'd be disarmed. Anna kicked him away and prepared to charge again when out of the corner of her eye she saw Blondie making his way towards Romano, who was struggling to get up.

In that moment of distraction Anna misstepped and felt a sharp pain in her right arm as the guy grazed her arm with the knife. Anna cried out in pain as she grasped the wound, a large amount of blood covered her hand as she pulled away.

Everything that happened next was instantaneous.

Anna found herself suddenly sheltered behind a tall body, surrounded by a purely murderous aura, muttering the dreaded "kolkolkolkol…" under their breath. Ivan.

"You hurt my sunflower. You die now." he said in an eerily calm tone.

"Fratello!" she heard Italy shout from behind her. She looked and saw to her relief Blondie on the ground unconscious, having been knocked out by Germany, while Italy cradled his brother. France and England came up to pull her away from Ivan and the last thug still standing, who by this point was quaking with fear as Ivan stalked towards him, his faucet pipe somehow in his right hand. Where the hell did that come from?

"You best not watch this, let's get you treated!" England urged the girl away, careful of her wounds, from the scene towards where Italy and Germany were with Romano. Japan and Canada were nearby as well.

"Aren't you guys going to stop him?!" Anna asked desperately as she craned her neck to see that the last thug was now on the ground, crawling backwards from the menacing country. He wasn't actually going to…?!"

"Turn away, now!" France yelled before forcing her to look away and wrapping his arms around her head to block out the sound, England following suit.

A sharp whistle through the air.

A sickening crunch, followed by a small splatter.

The sounds of people screaming.

A loud thump.

Anna stood there frozen, not even daring to breathe as her heart froze in her chest. England and France obscured her vision, keeping her facing away from the scene. But she didn't need to.

It wasn't the first time she's seen a mangled body.

Tears fell from her eyes, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she came to terms over what happened. Don't go into shock, don't go into shock Anna, she chanted in her mind! A pained groan snapped her attention back to the group in front of her. Romano…!

"Is Romano okay?" she asked in a quiet voice. France and England lowered their arms, doing their best not to look behind them as they cringed at the shock and utter horror reflected in Anna's eyes.

"He's hurt pretty badly…" England replied softly. Anna nodded before taking a few tentative steps forward, surprising everyone with how steady and sure her steps were. Italy was being comforted by Germany, Japan staring wide eyed in shock while America and Canada instinctively stayed close to each other, the latter of the two fighting back tears. Even America looked shaken. Romano was still twitching even though his eyes were closed, as if he was suffering from a nightmare.

"What was that beam?" she asked, kneeling down beside Romano.

"Ve're not sure… This is the first that I've seen the effects up close." Germany responded. Anna noticed that Romano seemed to be clutching his side tightly, even though it wasn't where the beam had hit him. Carefully lifting up his coat and shirt, Anna saw what looked like a huge burn mark stretching across his ribs and abdomen.

"This mark, where is it from?" she asked. Italy looked up at her between sobbs.

"B-back during, the Inquisition…" he muttered. Anna nodded.

"Anna, I have a theory about why you're here…" England offered, approaching the girl and placing a hand on her shoulder. Anna looked up at him and nodded for him to continue.

"I believe that you may be a personification, like us in a way but different."

"Of what? Or who?" she asked. It wasn't demanding or angry, just curious… and maybe a tad hopeful.

"Of History, the Legacy of any Nation." Germany replied. Anna nodded, though it didn't really make too much sense to her. How could such a vast, intricate and detailed thing be condensed into one being? Not just one country, but every country that ever was or is! In a way though, it did make her situation have a lot more sense. And, she got an idea…

"I think, I can help Romano. If that's the case, I mean." she said rolling up her sleeves and removing her gloves. England tensed and dared a glance back at Russia, who was currently speaking to the authorities. The body had already been moved, but the snow where it lied was a large stain of deep crimson. The sight caused him to shudder, it's been decades since he's last seen such brutality.

"Are you sure? You don't have to prove yourself or anything." he comforted. Anna looked up at him, than each of the other countries individually, before slowly turning back to face Russia. She did her best not to look at the ground, or on the stains now adorning his winter coat. But it was hard to ignore so much red amongst a blanket of white. She quickly turned back around before taking a deep breath, her eyes filling with determination instead of empty shock.

"No, I want to try. Anything I can do to help. I think, all I need to do is touch this mark…" she said getting ready to do so.

"Are you sure? I was positive that the beam hit his back." Japan questioned.

"I don't think his pain has to do with the beam itself. Blondie over there said that he was in a nightmare… I think he's trapped in a memory. And, I can heal that memory for him." Anna reasoned. The countries present looked at each other warily, unsure about what she meant. But they were willing to give it a try.

"Be careful Anna…" Italy warned. Anna forced a small reassuring smile for his sake before looking down at Romano.

"Listen here, Lovino," she started to say, startling the six countries with her use of his human name, "I know you have no reason to trust me, much less even like me. But, you are in a lot of pain right now. And I want to help you get rid of that pain. I'm sorry about what I did to you, I didn't want to hurt you or force you against your will. But I had to do it for Spain, I don't think he would have been happy to see you captured as well. Now you need to get better, so that you can see Spain- Antonio again. Will you let me help you?" Everyone sat there waiting, watching as Romano twitched and murmured to himself. They were all oblivious as Russia approached the huddled group, having finished speaking with the authorities.

Suddenly, Romano moved his head up and down in the semblance of a nod before curling in on himself. Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, here we go…" she said more to herself, before pressing her hands lightly on the burn scar. Everyone watched in awe as the mark began to glow a warm red, like a burning ember, a similar colored aura surrounding the girl. Her hair and scarf ends seemed to float on their own, giving her an ethereal appearance as she sat there with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes, they were the same amber color as Feli and Lovi's.

Anna found herself in a plaza of some sort. It was the middle of the day and it was hot! Was it summer here? Glancing around at her surroundings, she was awed by the tall structures and architectural masterpieces that surrounded her. Upon closer inspection, she recognized it as Florance from when she last visited, only the air smelled foul and the streets were filthy. The people grouped in the center of the square were no better. Instead of seeing things from Romano's point of view, Anna found herself her own person as she made her way towards the commotion.

In the center was a large platform with three wooden stakes protruding from the middle. Anna gasped in horror as she saw three people, a young boy of about ten, an old woman, and a young man, tied the the stakes wearing white linen clothing. A large man in black robes carrying a lit torch stood at the side while a man who looked like a catholic priest read of a list of charges in old Italian. An execution!

Upon closer inspection, she saw that the young man on the far right was none other than Antonio. How the hell did he end up about to be burned alive? Wasn't his country in charge of this madness?! As the priest continued to read the charges, Anna saw a dirty little boy cowering behind the steps of the platform. It was Romano! He was looking up at Antonio with fear, what of she wasn't sure. Suddenly the priest stopped talking and motioned towards the man in black. He nodded once before walking over to the small boy, who was crying and begging loudly in Italian, before setting the wood at his feet ablaze. Anna had to avert her eyes and cover her ears as the boys piercing screams permeated her senses. Around her, the people cheered as if they were watching a prize fight. Coupled with the sudden smell of burning flesh, Anna felt the urge to hurl at the monstrosity that was happening before her. She looked up to see Romano in a similar position.

As the next one was light, she ghosted through the crowd towards Romano, glancing up at Antonio tied to the stake. He seemed only slightly troubled that he was about to be burned alive, could this have actually killed him at some point. Suddenly, a green mist appeared that only she could see apparently, a raspy voice echoing throughout the space thus drowning out all other noise.

"You are too scared… you can't save him… why do you want to save a sinner…? You are bound for hell… you are worthless…" it reamed, the child Romano apparently cringing at the voice's words. This was Hive's doing, Anna realized! That beam forces them into their worst memories and plagues them with their fears! Angry and determined to stand up against this meddling, Anna held her hands next to her mouth and hollered

"ROMANO! LOVI!" the child Romano looked up at her and seeming looked into her eyes fearfully.

"I'M HERE TO HELP YOU NOW! WE CAN SAVE HIM TOGETHER! WE CAN SAVE THE ONE YOU LOVE!" she continued shouting, watching as the young Romano lowered his hands as he looked up at Antonio on the stake. The executioner was just about to light the flame when Romano looked back at her then nodded.

All of the sudden she saw things through his eyes. It was a flash of memories as he jumped on to the platform to head butt the executioner away, before pulling out a small knife to cut away Antonio's bonds. What he didn't was that the torch fell and lit the bundle, and as he caught the now unconscious Antonio, both he and Anna screeching in pain as they felt sizzling pain on their sides. Their vision swam as the combined smell of smoke and burnt flesh nauseated their senses, Romano struggling not to hurl as he swiftly carried the Spaniard away from the plaza. Anna heard guards chasing after them, but never even hope to catch an Italian when he's running away. Especially when they're carrying the love of their life on their shoulders, even with a nasty burn on the side of their chest.

"Who are you…?" they heard the raspy voice of Spain ask as he was roused into consciousness.

"Don't ask stupid questions you bastard…" Romano bit out.

"You saved me…" Spain remarked in wonder, his green eyes alight with awe.

"Pfft, as if that silly fire could hurt someone like you!"

"So, you know who I am?"

"Who doesn't shitface?!" Romano bit out, flushing slightly. So, was this how Spain first met Romano?

"What is your name?" Spain asked.

"Why do you care?!"

"I want to know the name of my savior…" Romano huffed before answering reluctantly.

"Italy Romano…" understanding dawned in Spain's eyes before the scene shifted. Romano was standing at a dock, watching as a ship sailed away. He clutched his side, which was burning painfully, before turning and finding a place to hide. The pain intensified as the adrenaline wore off, and Romano fell into unconsciousness as he was left to heal on his own.

In the real world, everyone watched in wonder as Romano stopped twitching and his expression became more peaceful. Their wonder was quickly changed to shock and horror as Anna tore her hands away from Romano's side to scream and clutch at hers tightly. Russia was first to be by her side, catching her as she fell to the side. Her breathing was harsh and tears streamed through her eyes.

"What is wrong with her?" Russia asked darkly, glaring at the Briton for answers. England resisted stepping back at the raw anger and malice in Russia's eyes and cleared his throat to answer.

"I think this is what is meant by having to bear the burden of the past…" he answered carefully. Russia tensed like he was about to pounce the Englishman when Anna suddenly relaxed and sat up straight, as if she had never been injured.

"I'm fine now, the pain is gone already." she said with a flat tone, voice cracking. Romano stirred and slowly sat up, clutching his head and wincing.

"Shit... hey, sadist bitch…" he groaned, looking at Anna with one eye. She looked at him, ready to receive any insult he can throw her way, knowing she probably deserved it. Russia tried to wrap an arm around her shoulder but she batted it away, much to his surprise and that of the others.

"How are you?" she asked.

"That was a total mind fuck, what do you think?" Romano said, words lacking any real bite. He sounded as exhausted as she felt. She let out a humorless laugh.

"Yeah, I agree with you there…" she said before the older Italian suddenly threw his arms around her in a tight embrace. She stood there wide eyed and shocked, her expression mirroring everyone else's present. Romano… was _hugging_ her?

"Grazie… Anna." he whispered in her ear. He even said her name! A lump formed in her throat as she smiled and quickly returned his embrace.

"It's what friends do." she dismissed. He pulled back from her and crossed his arms, attempting to scowl but failing.

"Don't think that is going to be a regular thing between us sadist bitch, I'm still mad at you!" he said quickly as if trying to maintain his dignity. Anna and a couple other countries laughed, he'll be okay for sure.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" she replied winking and ruffling his hair affectionately, causing his scowl to deepen. Italy quickly wrapped his brother in a tight hug of his own, sprouting a full blown argument in Italian to erupt between the brothers as Germany went over to the still unconscious Blondie.

"Vhat are ve going to do vith these two?" he asked gruffly, grabbing the swine by collar of his shirt.

"They're French if that helps, or at least French speaking." Anna said, standing up and dusting snow off her knees. Russia followed suit but she walked away from him. Talk about giving the one of the coldest countries in the world the cold shoulder...

"Oui, I recognize zhem. Zhey are Louis Dechaump and Michael LeClaire, zhe ozher was his petit frère. Mercenaries who went rogue five years ago." France replied bitterly.

"We gonna question them?" America asked.

"Let me, I'll-" Russia started to say.

"You've done enough!" Anna spat out. Everyone recoiled at the amount of venom in her voice, Russia especially. What was wrong with his sunflower?

"Anya…?" he asked uncertainly. Anna looked at him with fresh tears in her eyes, her stern, cold expression trying to betray the fear and sadness in her eyes.

" No, Russia," she said adding extra emphasis on his Country name, "I just… I can't…" she let out a heavy sigh before turning away from him, "I need some time to think about this. Alone. Arthur?" The Briton snapped to attention.

"Yes?"

"Where are you and everyone else staying?" she asked.

"A hotel not far from here."

"Can you get me a room with you guys? Just for the night." her voice was starting to crack. England nodded in understanding and walked up to the girl.

"I'll take you there now." he said starting to lead her away towards a black car parked a ways off. Russia and the other countries watched as they walked away, Anna not once turning back to look. She just, couldn't right now. Russia felt his heart break as she got in the car with England and drove off. For a moment, no one said anything as they helped the authorities handle the two thugs, Italy and Germany taking Romano to another car so that he could rest. Russia was rooted on the spot, staring at the place the car carrying Anna had once been as Japan walked up to him without looking directly at him.

"Anna-san needs to sort out her thoughts, it has been a rong day for everyone."

Russia said and did nothing.

"Arso, I sense that the troubre she feers is much deeper than shock or fear. It is something you need to overcome in time, Russia-san. Forgive my rudeness, but I had to speak." Japan finished, bowing before returning to discuss details with America and Canada. Russia felt numb, and for the first time in his life, a single tear escaped from his violet irises.

What had he done?

 **AN: Well... that was a thing. Don't hate me...**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: And I'm back! Sorry for that major heavy-fest last chappie, I wish I could say that was all... but, I'd be lying. Lightens up a bit here, but not too much. Onwards!**

The moment Arthur brought her to a room, Anna quickly shed all of her clothing to take a shower in the ensuite bathroom. She didn't know how long she stayed there, long after the water had started to run cold for sure, but she just felt… numb. And dirty. And weak.

Even though she was relieved to be have been able to help Romano, the fact that she could unnerved her. The Personification of History? How could that even be possible? Even if it was, it didn't make any sense that someone from her universe was summoned to this one if only to assume that role. Why couldn't it have been someone already in this place? Unless, she was meant to be here from the start. All her life, her passion and love has been history, being buried in the past like Alice in her Wonderland, making connections to the present and the possible future. Was that really her though? Was she chosen because of her love of history? Or, did her love of history come from being chosen? Is everything about her a lie, something someone or something else decided to make? Oh god... She didn't even feel like her own person anymore!

Then it hit her, how did the Nations cope? They each had their own little stories and nuances that were unique to them, conversations and interactions much like normal people. Maybe she should talk to them about what being a 'Personification' is like. Arthur seemed like her best bet, she got on with him really well, plus he's one of the oldest countries she knew (except for China of course but he wasn't here).

At the thought of China, Anna's mind darkened further at the thought of her other issue with another authoritarian Nation.

Ivan.

Russia.

Whoever he is.

It was clear that whoever killed that man was NOT her Ivan. That was Russia, cold and merciless. He so readily killed that man for giving her what was nothing more than a scratch, a scratch! She looked down at her wound, the crust and grime washed away by the water, staining it pink until it ran clear. Like she thought, a scratch.

It wasn't the fact that someone died that bothered her. It was the fact that someone died because of her… it brought back too many memories, memories that she never wanted to associate with Ivan. Images of a black haired boy with soft brown eyes filled her mind, his gentle smile causing a lump to form in her throat. For the first time in ages, she dared to say his name aloud.

"Ian…" she murmured as tears streamed down her space. That night, as she went to bed, she slept the dreamless sleep of the forsaken.

…

The next morning, Arthur sat in the downstairs lobby in a private room reserved for VIPs such as himself, sipping tea quietly as he read the morning's newspaper. The press already got wind of the attack at the Kremlin and of Russia's swift "punishment" to the one who injured Anna. The internet was exploding with outcrys of rage, demanding that their governments and Nations and tell them the truth. To make things worse, some people began showing support for Hive, spouting cultist dogma and bigoted gospel against the Nations who had guided them and binded them together for so many millenia. Arthur shook his head, feeling a migraine coming on. That was their goal, he realized, to spur the public into action and rally those who were sympathetic to their sides. It was madness…

At that moment, Anna shuffled in, looking everything but rested dressed in a large red bathrobe and simple slippers. Arthur straightened when he noticed her entering and rose from his seat.

"Good morning Anna, did you sleep well?" he asked. Anna raised an eyebrow as a half-smile crossed her face. What do you think? She asked this silently. He simply nodded before motioning towards the chair across from him.

"Care to join me?" Anna nodded.

"For tea? Always." as she took her seat Arthur poured her a steaming cup and allowed her to add milk and sugar as she pleased. As they drank in silence, he sensed the hesitation radiating from his young friend.

"What troubles you?" he asked. Anna laughed humorlessly.

"What doesn't trouble me," she said sarcastically before becoming serious again, "I wanted to ask you this; what is it like? Being a country? Or 'Personification' as you put it?" Arthur was taken aback by her sudden, and rather difficult, question, but in reality he should have expected it coming after yesterday.

"I see. What would you like to know?" He asked. Anna shrugged.

"Well, anything really. Mainly, I just want to know, I mean… well, you're obviously United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, right?" Anna rambled. Arthur nodded, not quite sure where this was going.

"But, you're also 'Arthur Kirkland' as well, like, you have your own little quirks and stories beyond that of your country, right?" Again, Arthur nodded, "So, where does 'Arthur' stop and 'the UK' begin? Is there a definite separation between the two, or are they really one and the same?" Understanding dawned in Arthur's eyes and he visibly relaxed. So, _that's_ what was bugging her…

"To be honest, it's a little bit of both. Yes, much of my personality reflects the state and age of my home. Before I discovered America I was hardly the gentleman you see before you. Oh yes, in my days as 'Britannia' I was a feared pirate of the oceans. And, as you may have learned, the hardships we face gets implanted physically on our forms in some way or form. However, as you say, I have also been shaped by my own interests and curiosities, not all by my various bosses and their citizens. I am as much a citizen as I am their leader, a sheep as much as a shepherd." he responded, trying to keep it as simple as possible.

"I see. Doesn't it get overwhelming though? Surviving through the lives of your citizens? Seeing so much death and change, surviving past it all, having to carry those memories with you?" Anna asked, subconsciously rubbing the area of her neck where she bore Russia's scar from Mongolia. Arthur reached over to place a reassuring hand over hers, causing her to look up with slightly fearful eyes.

"Fear not love, we've all been through hardships and harrowing pain. Hell, during the London Blitz I swore that would be the end of me. But we persevered. In a way, you are lucky. You needn't worry about keeping a whole nation happy, or fighting wars and engaging in boring politics," he comforted, earning a small laugh from Anna at the last bit, "but whatever pain you do feel in the times come, understand that I and the others will be there for you." Anna smiled gratefully and walked around to the other side of the table to give Arthur a hug.

"Thank you, that means a lot you know…" she said. Arthur returned her embrace and patted her shoulder.

"Of course. Besides," he said pulling away from the embrace to smile at her, "it will be a refreshing change to have someone to make fun of France with me in the coming years." Anna threw her head back with a full hearted laugh, the gloom of the mood quickly dispelled. At that moment, Japan and France entered.

"Speak of the devil…" Anna muttered winking at Arthur, who managed to suppress a laugh while France looked at them confused.

"I'm sorry, did I just intrude on some private joke? What is so funny?" France asked. Anna simply smirked while sitting down to resume drinking her tea.

"Just commenting on how your long hair makes you look like a campy douche-sickle or a like a pretty girl. But that's none of my business." Anna remarked smirking before taking a sip while Arthur guaffed across from her, France turning blue with indignation.

"Why are you so mean early in zhe morning? You're only supposed to be half British I zhought!" France protested. Anna raised an eyebrow and smiled in disbelief.

"Would you prefer that I act more American," she asked sarcastically, earning a few eyerolls, "besides I was just joking. Wanted to see how you react!" As she said this Germany and Canada walked in, followed by America and the Vargas brothers.

"Guten morgen Miss Colins." Germany greeted.

"Yo!" she replied.

"Hey, how ya feelin'?"America asked, looking a little worried. Anna shrugged.

"All things considering, surprisingly okay. What about you guys, what's next on your agenda?" Anna asked.

"What else can we do? World's going crazy and we need to go home to sort things out." American replied sighing heavily. Obviously it was the last thing he wanted to do.

"But what about Spain? He's still with Hive… oh, sorry Romano…" Anna started to protest, but the pained look in Romano's eyes stopped her. So much for tact…

"I don't like it either, but ve have no choice. Each of our bosses gave us direct orders." Germany said.

"It is rike America-san says. The world is going crazy. We have a duty to furfir in order to protect the peace." Japan agreed, though he looked just as reluctant. Anna looked around confused.

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked. Arthur slid the newspaper he was previously reading across to her. She took it up and looked in horror at the headlines.

" **Attack Outside the Kremlin: One Brutally Murdered, Fates of Others Unknown"**

" **Who Is This Mysterious Group, What is the World Hiding?"**

" **Have the Borders Become Obsolete?"** Anna balked at this third one.

"Borders? What the fuck?" she muttered.

"It happened last night…. someone sent this to the UN and it somehow made it out to the public…" Canada said nervously, handing Anna another piece of paper before floating away. She leaned in to squint at the print, once again loathing the loss of her glasses. America seemed to notice this.

"Can you see that alright?" he asked fishing around in his pockets for something.

"Not really, I can't read things up close very well…" Anna said when America produced a shiny new pair of glasses with silver frames, catching her by surprise. How many pairs did he carry with him?

"It's one of my spares, you can have 'em if they work out." he said smiling. Anna quickly tried on the frames, finding them a little bigger than her last pair but nonetheless a great improvement when she tried reading the statement again.

"Yeah, this is great! Thanks America!" Anna said happily, no more headaches and sore eyes!

"Just call me Alfred, or Al!" he replied smiling brightly with his thumb up, causing Anna to laugh before she started to read the notice, her smile and laughter quickly forgotten as she took in the words.

" _Perhaps this notice shall be a refreshing change to the monotonous drone of murder, war, and poverty that plagues your news each day. Ah, it seems every day, more and more people are dying; if not murder, then starvation. If not war and genocide, then maladies and pandemics claim the lives of millions of the world's citizen. In just thirty years we have lost seventy percent of our forests under the guise of "progress." Progress, since when did that become such a dirty word? Since when did war and destruction become 'necessary' in the name of "Progress?" When will the people turn to their leaders, their 'saviors' and scream enough? But that arises the question of who will save the world, doesn't it?_

 _Capitalists._

 _Communists._

 _Socialists._

 _Fascists._

 _Each one leaves such a dirty taste in our mouth, doesn't it? Because no matter what each on promises, it leaves one on top while the dirty masses writhe and mingle in the dirt like pigs in a sty. And when the bosses disagree, it is the pigs that a sent to slaughter in their stead. All this bloodshed over a speck of land, a murdered prince, who and how to worship, a right to be indepent. Our world has been tormented by nationalistic countries fighting over lines of a map and the colors of one's flag for millennia, and for as long as humanity has been recording their woes in the history books, we have suffered for a "Country's" greed. When will it be enough?_

 _That time is now my friends. We dream of a world without countries. No religion too. We want a world where we are no longer separated by what language we speak or what god we pray to, where the only thing that matters is companionship, unity and brotherhood. The world, under one flag. Join us, for we are the collective. We are the visionaries, the builders, and the dreamers._

 _WE are the HIVE._

Anna held the paper in her hand, trembling with rage. For someone who claimed to hate Communism, they sure sounded like a certain Russian Dictator she spent her life studying. Speaking of which, they insulted her very livelihood! Wars happened, so that no one else needs to fight them in the future! They happen to maintain peace! Human's fight to be unique, creative, safe, and free!

"Of all the utter bloody bull shit I've ever read, this has got to be the biggest pile of hogwash I've ever seen! And how DARE they quote John Lennon like this? Blasphemy!" Anna shouted crumpling the paper and throwing it to the far end of the room angrily.

"You're telling me, they sound like freakin' cultists!" America commented.

"And it seems that people are forming support groups all over the vorld. Ja, people actually believe this Scheiße." Germany remarked, seeing her appalled expression.

"What are we going to do then?" Anna asked crossing her arms.

"We?" France asked incredulously. Anna nodded and stood up, a determined look in her face.

"Yes, WE. I'm fighting them with ya, like it or not." Anna declared. This earned a few shocked and worried looks thrown her way.

"Out of the question, you are a valuable asset to them and ve're not going to let you out on the front lines." Germany argued. Anna marched right up to the German and looked him dead in the eye.

"Look, I get it, I'm a resource for these guys, so y'all want to keep me out of this fight. However, if I'm supposed to be the bloody Personification of History or whatever, then it's my duty to protect you guys and help you in case you got hurt. Did you already forget the incident with Romano?" Anna asked, the determined glare in her eye unnerving the German slightly, even though he stood nearly two heads taller than she. She raised a finger for emphasis as she continued.

"Also, I'm half American and half British. That means, in case you didn't notice, I have major hero complex PLUS I'm stubborn to boot. Try as you might, you… ain't… stopping… me. Capiche, Herr sour kraut?" Anna emphasised each word by poking Germany's chest before finally holding it in front of his face. Germany and the rest of the countries present were speechless, it was so rare for someone to stand up to him like that. Finally, after a moment, Germany released a tense sigh.

"Vhatever…"

"Alright! Don't worry Anna, I'll teach you everything there is to know about being one of us! You're in the hero's hands now!" America declared fist pumping the air as he wrapped an arm around Anna's shoulders. She raised a dubious brow but smiled nonetheless at America's, Al's, enthusiasm and support.

"I feel safer already…" she replied sarcastically.

"Good, 'cause I was raised by Artie, you should be just fine!" America said not catching her sarcasm at all. England rolled his eyes at this.

"I told you not to call me that, obviously I didn't teach you to listen well enough!" he scoffed.

"Huh? Did you say somethin' Britain?" America asked oblivious. Arthur facepalmed as Anna unwound the arm from her shoulders. Sometimes she wondered if they DID actually had some sexual tension to relieve... not that she'd say that aloud. Both of them would pummel her, not to mention Kaitlyn would have a fit back in her universe, she thought laughing to herself.

"Say, Anna… earlier before when you mentioned Espange, you apologized to Romano. Pourquoi?" France asked. Anna blanched as the vertical blue lines appeared on her face, crap!

"Um… well, I… you see, I was concerned that since Romano and Spain are," she got an evil glare from the Italian, "good BUDDIES, I thought that maybe he'd be… feeling bad during all this… yeah, that's all!" she finished awkwardly. She prayed that they'd accept that as an answer.

Unfortunately, count on the Country of Romance to see the bigger picture in this one instance.

"Zhey are dating, aren't zhey.." France stated with a deadpan expression.

"Why the fuck would I date that jerk bastard? You shut your face!" Romano protested, being held back by his younger brother from attacking the Frenchie.

"But Fratello! Didn't you say that Big Brother Spain had the big-" Italy started to remark.

"Shut up you dumbass!" Romano screeched attempting to strangle his brother before Germany stepped in to separate them. Well, cat's out the bag now, Anna thought awkwardly. She didn't say nothin'!

"Aw, zhat is adorable! I knew from the start zhat such a beautiful love will bloom between you two ohhonhon!" France serenaded with roses flying about him. Romano balked and let out a string of Italian curses that fell on non-understanding ears. Unless you count Italy of course.

"France, you tried four times to claim chibi Romano as your own even after the Italian wars ended in 1742…" Anna reminded, causing the images of the roses to crack and shatter behind him. He turned away as the horizontal blue lines appeared on his face.

"Oh, but I was a different man you see…" he defended weakly while everyone else just rolled their eyes. Freakin' perverted pedophille…

"Bull shit…" America muttered. Wait didn't he like France?

"You're thinking Revolutionary war there Narrator… it's the 21st century…" Anna deadpanned upwards.

Well, aren't we a little miss know it all?

"In case you haven't realized, that's kinda my job!" Anna retorted.

Technically, not yet… there's still some changes you have to go through. Up until then you're just a normal human.

"Normal human? Lady, what about me screams 'Normal' to yo- oh my god, I'm arguing with the air…." Anna realized before sinking on to the floor in exasperation. Sanity? Pah! It was overrated anyway. Though Narrator did bring up a point, how was this all supposed to work now anyways?

"Say, how about I make everyone some pasta to celebrate?" Italy asked excitedly, causing everyone to look at him in confusion.

"Celebrate?" they all asked.

"Si, to our new forever friend! Historia!" Italy declared motioning towards Anna. The name caused her to blush. That had a nice ring to it… wasn't it Latin?

"That would be nice!" Anna said, besides, it was lunch time! Everyone cheered while Anna looked around, smiling. Yeah, she could stay here, she thought. "Historia…" I could certainly get used to being called that! I'm sure my friends will understand. My parents wouldn't care, not like they ever do. It may be difficult with the university, but either way, I can stay here! With everyone, she concluded. Then, she realized that there was one person not there.

Russia…

Ivan...

No one noticed Anna's face falling at the thought of her love. Yeah, after one heartbroken night away, she could say certainly that she was in love with the enigmatic country. To go back now would mean having to tell him of _that_ event… was she ready to face him with it? To be honest, she didn't care that he killed someone. That much was clear after a night's sleep. She knew he cared about her deeply, wouldn't you kill for the one you loved? If any one of these dirty Hive folks got their hands on Russia, _her_ Ivan…! Lord have mercy on their souls.

She wondered how he was doing now…?

…

After getting a severe reaming from his bosses, Russia went back home. He barely remembered what happened after that, all that involved many, _many,_ bottles of vodka and many hours in one spot.

It didn't matter what his bosses said to him, or anyone for that matter. He did what was right. So why did his Anya run? Was he the one who caused those tears in her eyes? They way she said his name… his country name, so coldly and emotionless, left him feeling empty. The fire gave him no warmth, nor did the brief rays of light streaming through his window. Anya was his sunshine, his spring and his summer, the light of his life.

And he had chased it away…

It was probably for best, he thought vaguely as he finished his fifth (or sixth? He couldn't remember…) bottle. The image of his Anya laying frozen in the snow stuck in his mind. She was safe away from him, away from his winter, where her summer could bloom unhindered. Leaving him alone.

He sat next to the couch for many hours, not even bothering to sleep long after the fire had died out. He was dead to the world, uncaring if he faded out of existence…

Until he heard a noise from upstairs.

He recognized that sound from his Anya's laptop. Oh, she may want her stuff back eventually… getting himself up from the floor he made his way to her room, hating how his heart sank further at the sight. His heart. He wanted to rip it out then smash it on the floor, then he would never feel love again. Even if it killed him, he would do it not to see Anya wherever he looked. He'd have to burn this whole room, which he decorated just for her, so he wouldn't be haunted by the memories of her sleeping form, her goodnights from the doorway, their first kiss…

Suddenly, the laptop started making the noise again when a face appeared.

"ANNA LOUISE COLINS! YOU ANSWER ME RIGHT- oh, hello Russia…" the face of, oh what's her name, Kaitlyn said after she saw who it was. He simply nodded once in return.

"So, is Anna there?" she asked awkwardly, wondering what was up with him. He cast his eyes to the floor and shook his head. Kaitlyn nodded slowly, worry starting to creep into her eyes.

"Is she safe? Did something happen? And answer me properly this time please." she demanded.

"Da, she is safe." Russia replied.

"Okay good, but I assume something happened with you two, am I right?" Kaitlyn asked. Once again, he simply nodded. Kaitlyn let out a sigh before she typed a few things on her laptop.

"I was worried something like this would happen, didn't think it would occur so quickly..." she muttered, confusing the tall country. Suddenly, the two other girls he saw appeared on the screen, confused as to why they weren't talking with Anna and why Russia was looking so… dead.

"What's going on?" the younger, Kimberly he remembered, blonde girl asked.

"I was worried about this happening, but we need to explain to Rus- to Ivan, the meaning behind the Unspoken Rule." Kaitlyn explained. Kimberly and her sister, Tris, he thought, gasped in shock.

"Are you sure, I don't think Anna would like that…." Tris warned.

"It's necessary, I'm calling a code Green here." Russia didn't know what they meant, but it must be serious judging by the looks on the girls faces.

"What are you talking about?" Russia asked.

"Did something happen that made Anna act all cold and distant? Maybe after a show of extreme violence?" the one called Tris asked. Russia nodded, an unknown feeling of guilt pooling in his stomach.

"We won't ask for details-"Kaitlyn started to assure.

"I killed a man who tried to hurt her." Russia suddenly stated, causing all three girls faces to go wide.

"Um…"

"Not weird at all…"

"Was it for a good reason?" Kaitlyn squeaked.

"He hurt Anya." Russia stated simply. All three visibly relaxed.

"What a relief…"

"So not a total psycho, thanks for saving her."

"We're sure glad she has someone like you watching out for her!" Now Russia was severely confused.

"Um, weren't you going to explain Unspoken Rule to me?" he asked. The three looked at each other uncomfortably before Tris started to speak.

"About five years ago, we all had this friend. I'm sure Anna explained KITKA to you guys right?" Russia nodded affirmatively, wondering where this was going.

"Well, he was the 'I' in our group. His name, was Ian…"

 **AN: Who was Ian, and why does he have such an impact on Anna's life? Will Anna and Ivan sort things out? Find out next time! Keep those reviews coming ;) Also, in case you've been living in the mud under a rock somewhere, the John Lennon quote was from the song 'Imagine..." If you don't know what that is, what the fuck have you been doing on the internet? Go on! Look that song up!**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: And here it is, Anna's past explained, with some fluff at the end! Onwards!**

"Anna moved to our town when she was about eight years old. She was already kind of different than most kids, seeing as she spoke with a slight accent…"

"She still does." Kimberly interjected. Tris and Kaitlyn nodded before Tris resumed.

"And, she drew very… vivid pictures that kids normally don't draw. I mean, while other girls drew ponies and princesses, she was drawing The Hundred Years War or Vlad the Impaler executing people, blood, guts and all. Needless to say, she didn't have a lot of friends. We only learned later that her mom kind of ignored her for the most part and her dad was a bit of a workaholic even though he loved her. We could only imagine how lonely she felt."

"Then, one day during recess, there was a boy being bullied for bringing a pink lunchbox to school. Anna, without question, went over and chased the bullies away. We had no idea how she did it, but I think she scared them away with her martial arts or something." Kimberly continued. Russia smiled at this, how little it seemed that his Anya changed. Plus the idea of a small- well, smaller- Anna standing up to bullies was quite amusing!

"Anyways, she and the boy, Ian, became the closest of friends. He was her confidant and her, and I quote, 'dark haired angel.' In return, she was his devoted protector. He encouraged her to audition for our school play the next year, which is where and when we met them." Kaitlyn said, smiling at the memory.

"You need to understand something about Ian. He was, without a doubt, the most amazing, kindhearted human being you could ever meet. He just had this magnetism that pulled all of us together, even though we are quite different people. Any problem or issue you had, you could sit there and talk to him about it and he'd give you the most down to earth advice." Kimberly said smiling sadly.

"For years, we did everything together; plays, classes, weekend trips to the coast or to the mountains, school dances where we each took turns having him as one of our dates…" Kaitlyn listed.

"And when we entered middle school and we discovered anime, Doctor Who, Marvel and other such things, we became the ultimate fan girls! And boy." Kimberly laughed.

"We thought it would last forever, even when we encouraged each other to go our separate ways to pursue our dreams, because we were the ones who were going to escape our piss-ass town and laugh at everyone else."

"But, something happened…" All three girls feel silent as the memory overtook them. Russia worried over what had occurred to make Anya's friends so apprehensive.

"Hey, you okay, da?" he asked. Kaitlyn asked and wiped at her eyes, as if keeping the oncoming tears away, before taking a deep breath.

"We understand that you may feel differently about this than we do, but we ask that you keep an open mind about this next part. Otherwise, Anna won't be able to open up to you. This is something we all feel strongly about." she warned while Kimberly and Tris nodded solemnly. Russia simply nodded and bade them to continue.

"Ian was gay. He came out to us when we were thirteen, but for the most part was extremely closeted. Well, I was twelve then but you get the idea. His parents were okay with it, but, the school... not so much." Kimberly stated, all three girls gauging Russia's reaction. When he said nothing or made no change of expression, did they continue.

"Our state is generally fairly liberal. Unfortunately, we lived in the one town that missed the memo when gay marriage was made legal there." Tris spat.

"It all started when we entered high school. We'd meet at rehearsals and Ian would not be as cheerful or responsive as normal, even though he did put up a front. We could tell though, something was wrong." Kaitlyn lamented.

"He wouldn't tell us anything, which hurt us a lot because we were supposed to be a group. It hurt Anna the most because they knew each other the longest. You'd think he'd tell her, right?" Tris said bitterly. Russia nodded slowly.

"Eventually, Anna discovered that he was being severely bullied and beaten by bullies. Both in and out of school. We all did our best to defend him, Anna especially," Kaitlyn continued, "but it wasn't enough."

"It was the end of our Junior year, Anna had just returned from visiting family in England. She didn't want to go, especially after she discovered that Ian had started hurting himself, but he insisted that she go." Kimberly said.

"Always putting others before himself…" Tris interjected.

"So she went. However, on the day that she returned a week later, we all got a call from his parents."

"He had been attacked... the doctors said that there were signs of gang rape… and he was stabbed but not fatally." Kaitlyn cried, tears now falling from her eyes. Russia was taken aback by this; in his home many homosexuals were attacked daily. It was to be expected in a pro-hate country. But that was all he knew really, whenever the subject would come up with his bosses he was just told to accept it and move on. So he did. But these girls, his Anya, they mourned for their lost friend and missed him terribly… how many others cried for lost or injured ones?

"Anna got there as quick as she could, managed to get to the hospital just after we arrived. I've never seen her look so frantic, yes he may have been close to all of us. But it paled in comparison compared to the relationship between those two." Tris said.

"When we were finally allowed to see him… god… I can't even describe how awful it was to see him like that…" Kaitlyn continued, wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"Anna didn't want to leave his side…"

"But we had to. We promised to come back tomorrow…"

"Anna swore that we'd all be there to help him through this…"

"But that night… somehow, he managed to get hold of a scalpel while the doctors weren't looking… when we got there the next morning… he was gone…" Kimberly said before breaking down crying. Tris quickly left her desk to reappear in Kimberly's window, consoling her sister while fighting back tears of her own.

"Anna… was just frozen there… then she just sank down to the floor and screamed... None of us could believe it… we tried our best but he still… it was too much to take in, even with doctors and our parents there. Then, Anna's mom said something unforgivable…" Kaitlyn recalled.

"What did they say?" Russia asked quietly, his expression unreadable.

"She said, 'There was nothing we could have done, that this was bound to happen eventually.' Something snapped in Anna that moment, and she started screaming at her, even though her dad tried to console her. They divorced that year see, and she lived primarily with her dad. Our mom eventually calmed her down and gave hers what for before leading us out of that building." Tris said, bitter and haunted by the memory. Russia couldn't imagine how heartless a person must be to say something like that to their own daughter, the thought of it happening to his Anya made him quiver with rage.

"Time kind of went into fast forward, the funeral, memorial services, the whole deal happened. Anna didn't say a word for a whole month… then one day, when we were all visiting the grave after school, she said something chilling." Kimberly shivered.

"'I promised that I would always protect him. I never thought that one day, I'd want to avenge him.' We all panicked and told her that wasn't what Ian would have wanted. He wanted her to pursue her dream and live happily." Tris said.

"We thought we got through to her…"

"But one night, she arrived at my door crying," Kaitlyn interjected, "crying about how 'she didn't mean to, he was so drunk,' etc. I demanded that she say what she was talking about. She told me that 'he fell…' and that was all. I figured out what she meant the next day."

"Apparently, there was a party going on the school roof last night. Alcohol was involved obviously, and many of the bullies who tormented Ian were there." Tris stated.

"We think that Anna must have gone to confront the leader… something happened and he ended up falling off the roof… he didn't get up." Kimberly finished, leaving the unspoken detail hanging in the air. Russia just sat there, this new information chilling him to the bone. Did him killing that man bring back too many painful memories for her? But how could he have known? It was for her own good! As if sensing his uncertainty, Kaitlyn looked up and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Hey, I understand this is a lot to take in, but from what Anna's been telling me, I know that she cares about you a lot. I never thought I would see the day she actually show this much interest in a guy after what happened." she assured.

"Yeah, especially the last couple years of high school, she went full blown sociopath. I mean, she calmed down significantly after she graduated and moved out of the country, but the effects are still there." Kimberly remarked after having calmed down from her fit. Tris looked directly at him with a stern look in her eye.

"So, now that we've acknowledged you as her official boyfriend, we ask you to do this one thing since we're not there." she ordered. Russia cocked his head in question when all three girls demanded at the same time.

"Please take care of our friend!"

…

"Hello? Ivan?" Anna called softly as she opened the door to Russia's house. She was really starting to doubt whether it was a good idea to come here. After Italy made them all a fantastic lunch, Anna made the courageous decision to tell them about her past concerning Ian. Much to her surprise and relief, they accepted that part of her and comforted her through her troubles. It took a little convincing on Arthur and Romano's (of all people) part, and a little persuasion from a rather reluctant taxi driver on hers, in order for her to get here to do the same with Ivan. It was already late afternoon and she was hoping to talk to Ivan as soon as possible. Looking around the house, Anna cringed at the amount of rubbish and lack of care that had accumulated in the short time that they had been separated. Romano's words from earlier echoed in her head.

FLASHBACK A FEW HOURS AGO

"So, are you going to see the creepy-ass bastard or not?" Romano asked irritably as he watched Anna pace back in forth in her room. It was just after lunch and Anna was a nervous wreck.

"I want to, and Arthur said I should. It's just, I got so much baggage…" Anna muttered, when all the sudden she found herself spun around forcefully and face to face with a very annoyed Italian who held her tightly by the shoulders.

"Listen here you little sadist bitch! I don't give two shits about your past or whatever, neither does anyone else here! So suck it up and go make things right with your psycho boyfriend, otherwise you may not get the chance! You got it?" he all but shouted in her face. Anna could only stare wide-eyed and nod dumbly. Holy Mother Russia, this guy is actually pretty strong! Anna thought wincing slightly at how tightly he was grabbing her. Must be because of the Mafia, she reasoned.

BACK TO PRESENT

"Talk about tough love…" Anna said to herself with a quiet laugh, rubbing the area where he grabbed her. She sniffed when she caught the smell of something pungent in the air. Alcohol? Yikes… seeing as Ivan didn't seem to be home, she decided that she would set about tidying the place up. It was the least she could do as a start, she affirmed as she hung up her shoes, coat and cap by the door. With that in mind, she rolled up her sleeves and started to clean the place.

*one cleaning montage later*

"Whew! Thank goodness for these convenient time skips!" Anna exclaimed wiping the sweat from her brow. The place now sparkled from top to bottom, quite literally if you could believe it, and it smelled of fresh lemon pledge. Nodding once, proud of her hard work, she made her way to the coffee table where a half-finished bottle of vodka sat. Curiosity got the better of her as she made her way to the kitchen as she looked at the clear substance. Just one little try couldn't hurt right?

"Waste not, want not!" she exclaimed, unscrewing the cap and taking a big swig of the strong drink.

Big mistake.

After quickly placing the bottle back in the cupboard, Anna rushed to the sink and practically drowned herself trying to get water into her mouth. She pulled back with a loud gasp and shut of the water, her hair slightly dripping.

"Holy… Mother… Russia… that shit's strong!" she rasped, trying to get moisture back in her mouth. Every drop burned as it traveled down her throat, and already she was feeling the effects go to her head. An arrow next to the words "Absolutely zero tolerance" appeared next to her head as she shuffled back into the living room. She felt really sleepy all of the sudden, she realized sluggishly. Flopping face down on the couch, Anna quickly fell asleep. Nothing like a nap after a long montage of cleaning…

Ivan came downstairs, still a little shaken over dealing with Anya's really weird friends, pondering over how he was going to deal with this new information. Could he really just approach her with the fact that he now knew what troubled her? Somehow, he didn't think that would be very good idea…

When a soft snore broke into his thoughts, he stopped dead in his tracks.

There, with new glasses askew on her face, mouth slightly open, laying fast first on the couch with her firey red hair all around her face in a wild mess, was Anna, fast asleep. She came back? To him? On her own? Ivan wanted to think that this was a dream, a hallucination brought on by one too many bottles of vodka, but her soft snoring persisted. This was reality, he thought as he felt new hope spring in his heart. He thought that she couldn't look anymore cute, how glad he was to be wrong. Looking around the room and smelling the cleaner in the air, Ivan's heart warmed when he realized that his Anya had cleaned his house for him. Fate truly had given him another chance, and this time he'd be sure to make it count.

Waving away the words from over her head, Ivan bent down to gently pick her up bridal style, laughing a bit when he smelled the alcohol on her breath. Count on his ever-curious girl to try a bottle of vodka without supervision. He carried up to her room and set her gently on the bed, bringing the covers up to her shoulders before taking a moment to gaze upon her. She truly was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.

Removing her glasses and setting them on the side table, Ivan dared to lightly stroke the side of her face with the back of his hand. Such a small, fragile looking thing, yet he knew the fire that could burn in those large, expressive eyes of hers. He loved that the most about her, that along with how she could easily take on enemies who threatened her or her friends. His heart yearned to ease all her pain and sorrow, maybe then she could stay with him without question, Hive be damned to the deepest part of hell. And, if what Mister England said about her being here was true, they would have all the time in the world… beginning once she woke up.

Smiling happily at the thought of them being together forever, Ivan laid his head next her hers and drifted off to sleep.

 **AN: See? I told you! Fluff! Reviews welcome!**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: New Chap! I really loved writing this one, don't know why. Little angsty in the beginning, but things heat up in the end ;) Yes, that was a sort of lime (is it lime? I'm not too sure, but just to be safe) warning there. Enjoy!**

Anna slowly blinked her eyes open as she became aware of being in a different place than where she had fallen asleep. She was in a bed, tucked in neatly and her glasses were no longer on her face. These covers looked familiar… oh! This was her room! Ivan must have found her and carried her here… Ivan!

She sat up quickly, hoping to run to Ivan's room, when she looked over and saw him already there, sitting in a chair and fast asleep on her side of the bed. He looked like a child who had stayed up waiting for the tooth fairy or for Father Christmas to arrive, falling asleep with hope on his mind. Her heart clenched at the ragged state he was in, hair slightly greasy, still dressed in the clothes he wore that day not so long ago… even his beloved scarf looked a bit dirty. And he absolutely reeked of alcohol. Reaching over to brush silver strands away from his face, Anna sighed heavily. The one person who broke into her heart with only a few simple words and selfless actions… and she had managed to break theirs. She felt like the worst human being alive.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered before leaning down to kiss the top of his head. Let it be known that Ivan was a light sleeper, as soon as her lips touched his hair he stirred from his slumber to look up at her with sleepy eyes.

"Anya…?" he asked hesitantly, almost as if he couldn't believe she was still there. Anna offered him a pained yet reassuring smile.

"Hello Ivan, I'm home." she confirmed quietly, a lump forming in her throat. All of the sudden he lunged forward to capture her lips in a needy, almost desperate kiss, threading his fingers through her hair in order to keep her from escaping. The unexpectedness of it all caused Anna to recoil and the momentum had them both falling on the bed, with Ivan on top of Anna. Ivan pulled back to lock gazes with her, leaving her panting and flustered.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to scare you! I was…" Ivan started to say desperately but Anna shushed him, calming him down as she placed her hand on the said of his face.

"No no no, I wasn't scared. I didn't like it, but I understand why you did it… believe me, I may have done the same had you not stepped in." Anna choked out. Ivan let out a sigh of relief before grabbing her wrist lightly and turning to place a kiss on the palm of her hand. It was then she realized the position they were in, and she blushed deep red as she became more aware of how close they were.

"My little sunflower…" he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Anna squirmed under his weight, it wasn't that he was heavy nor was it completely unwelcome… he called her 'little.'

"Oi, who's little?" she retorted with mock offense, her lips pulling into a small smirk. Ivan didn't seemed all that phased about it, instead smiling brightly.

"You, мой подсолнечника*. And I intend to keep you right here…" he teased slightly, a mischievous glint in his eye as he kissed right on the tip of her nose, earning a giggle from her, before peppering her face with kisses.

"Hey now, before you get carried away here, go take a shower; you smell like a distillery." Anna ordered, trying to push him off her. She might have had more ease pushing against a brick wall.

"I missed you, my Anya…" he whispered, almost as if he didn't hear her speak just now, before trailing his kisses to her neck. Anna mewled at the sensations, unconsciously arching into his touch as his kisses grew hotter and more intense the longer they lingered. She let out an involuntary moan when he found her pulse point, the tip of his tongue just brushing it in the slightest, setting her body on fire. He chuckled at her reaction, the sensations travelling through her electrofied skin.

"Now who is carried away, da?" he smirked coyly. Anna raised an indignant brow and smiled teasingly before smacking his shoulder lightly.

"Hey, I'm young adult, hot blooded female with a very attractive alpha male making a pass at her. Can you blame me?" she responded, blinking her eyes with false innocence. Intense heat flashed in Ivan's eyes before he leaned down with the intention of kissing his little minx senseless, but was stopped instead by a hand on his forehead.

"I wasn't kidding about the shower Ivan, you absolutely reek. Plus, you and I need to have a talk." Anna stated, her expression growing serious. Ivan's expression dropped yet he offered a sympathetic smile.

"About Ian, da?" Anna's eyes widened in shock.

"How did you-?"

"Your friends. They said it was 'Code Green?'" Ivan said, hoping he didn't say the wrong thing. Anna sent a stink eye towards the corner of the room, scowling angrily. If she ever saw them again, she was going to kill them!

"I swear, they are the most meddling, unbelievable people in the universe- or universes!" she muttered before letting out a heavy sigh. "Though, it does make this a little easier…" Ivan smiled and pulled them both upright so that he could hug her tightly.

"Take your time…" he soothed, stroking her hair reassuringly. Anna smiled before letting out a deep sigh.

"It was a tough time for me, I hope you understand. He was everything to me, heck, if he weren't… ya know, then we would have been together. Maybe, in hindsight, it's better that we didn't. I don't think I would have survived it if we did…" Anna started. Ivan simply nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"I blamed myself you know, I know it sounds stupid, but I couldn't help it! I swore that I would protect him, and in the end, I lost him. He tried to call me you know, while I was in England working on applications and such. I was busy working, so I didn't answer and messaged him that I would talk to him later, I should have answered though…" she choked, tears starting to well in her eyes. Ivan arranged them so that her head rested on his shoulder, holding her close.

"Is not your fault, you didn't know. Don't force yourself if you don't want to." he comforted. Anna reached up to wipe away the tears.

"No, I need to get this off my chest. Anyways, when I learned what had happened… all I could feel was anger, and grief! You should have seen him, covered in bandages and bruises, barely moving at all. His eyes were so dead, as if they didn't understand that I, or any of us, were actually there. I promised him that everything would be alright… yet, he still... it was as if the sun, the moon, and the stars had all collapsed around me. All that was left, was darkness." she continued.

"I understand…" Ivan muttered to himself. She wondered what it was specifically that he meant by that, but decided that was for a conversation on a later day.

"After that, everything was just a blur. All I could think was 'Give him back. Give him back to me. Why did you take him away?' I didn't even know who I was talking to. Until, one day in school I saw one of the bullies, Jackson his name was, and all I could see was red. We had a memorial service that afternoon, and he was slagging off everything that people said. I daresay he was one of the people who attacked him, though they were never caught in the end… I spoke for the first time in a month when the others and I went to Ian's grave. I wanted revenge, but the told me that Ian wouldn't have wanted that. I knew they were right, and the guilt of wanting such a horrible thing ate at me, but I just couldn't help it! I wanted the people who did this to him to pay…" Anna said, shivering at the memories. Ivan continued to stroke her hair as she fought to get the words out. It pained him to see how much his Anya had suffered emotionally.

"Then one night, I heard that there was a party going on at the school. I remember thinking to myself, 'This is it, this is my chance to give them what for.' I just wanted to talk to them and make sure they never hurt anyone ever again. So I went. Jackson was there, pissed drunk already, and I could barely get a sentence out of him. He dragged me to one corner of the roof, away from other people, and he tried to make a pass at me. He said, 'always wanted to fuck the faggot's bitch…' and I knew he was talking about Ian. That coupled with the groping, it made me snap. All I remember was my mind going blank as I twisted his arm away from me, probably breaking it, before I kicked him hard in the chest. I didn't know how close the edge of the roof was, and he… he fell… I rushed over as soon as he went down and I will never forget the sight of him just laying there… head all bent the wrong way and everything… it was horrible! I threw up at the sight, before I called the police and the ambulance and let them know what happened. They let me off the hook, seeing as he instigated the attack and he was drunk, but I still… in my mind, I still killed him. I could've knocked him out, broken his legs, but no… I kicked him off the fucking roof!" Anna all but sobbed as the emotions overcame her. Ivan simply held her as she let out her emotions, rubbing soothing circles along the sides of her arms.

"Is not your fault, мой подсолнечника… he deserved it…" he said. Anna looked back at him, distress obvious in her eyes.

"Did he really though? Did he deserve to die?! He may have been trash and practically a murderer… but I killed him in the end.. that makes me worse-" she retorted.

"нет! You are perfect. Mister Ian, was your friend. It was wrong what happened to him… and I must fix my country because of that." Ivan softly declared, shocking Anna. Did he really mean what she thought he meant?

"You mean, you'd abolish the pro-hate laws? Here?" she asked in disbelief. Ivan nodded, a genuine smile making it's way on to his face.

"So that people like you and your friends don't have to cry anymore, da?" he replied. Anna smiled, her heart brimming with warmth, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Thank you, Ivan… my Ivan…"

"You are welcome, my Anya. Never doubt or hide your emotions, they what make you beautiful."

"That was unbelievably corny you know, but I love it. Thank you, Ivan."

"I speak from the brain!"

"Don't you mean the heart, dearest?" Anna raised an eyebrow, smiling incredulously. Ivan shook his head.

"I don't have one…" he stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Anna frowned at this before smiling assuredly.

"Oh really? Let me see.." she said before leaning in to press her ear to his chest, causing Ivan's cheeks to flush bright pink at the strange contact. Anna smirked as she heard the strong, proud heartbeat echo throughout Ivan's chest, the sound soothing and exciting her at the same time.

"Sounds like a perfectly good heart to me! See?" she said pulling back before taking her hand and placing it over his heart, grabbing his own hand in order to rest it over hers. "And if it should ever falter, then you can have mine. It's yours anyways." With that she took his hand and pressed it against her own chest, right over her frantic heartbeat. Like the wingbeats of a bird, he thought. How on earth he ever got this amazing young woman, not even all the time in the world would tell him that…

"I do not deserve it.." Ivan whispered happily before leaning in to place a chaste kiss on her lips. Anna allowed it to linger for a moment before she disjoined their hands and pushed Ivan to stand.

"Right. Shower now, then later…" she trailed off smirking coyly as she pushed Ivan out the door towards the bathroom.

"Later?" Ivan asked. Anna only winked before turning and heading back into her room, closing the door behind her. To tease him further, she managed to sashay all the way back, adding extra emphasis on the swing of her hips. What she missed after she closed the door was the low growl that passed from Ivan's lips, his eyes going dark with heat. What was she thinking, teasing him so shamelessly? He would have to punish her… after a shower.

In her room, Anna smiled when she heard the sound of water running just down the hall, but then sank to her knees as the overwhelming nerves and emotions took her. How on earth did things escalate from heartfelt and emotional to sexually tense and passionate? This newfound promiscuity shocked and scared Anna, this being her first real experience with being emotionally and potentially physically intimate with anyone. However, she got a certain amount of excitement over having a sort of hypnotic power over the so-called cold-as-ice Nation, watching him turn into a passionate beast before her eyes. Let it be known that Anna was bold and daring by nature, (you can thank or blame the American side of her) nerves and fears be damned. Smiling mischievously, she decided to put her newfound seductive prowess to the test as she started shedding each article of clothing until she was naked as the day she was born… well, sans the tattoo on her back, not even bothering to put on her glasses.

Besides, she reasoned as she slinked out of her room towards the bathroom, she jumped out a bloody plane without a parachute. What's taking a shower with the one you love compared to that?

A totally different thrill altogether.

...

Anna slowly cracked open the bathroom door as steam poured out. A glass screen closed off the shower/tub, a layer of condensation fogging up the surface already; and partially hiding Ivan's body from her view. Holy Mother Russia.. Ivan was impressive! Not necessarily ripped, but strong… definitely strong. Thankfully, the steam and condensation covered his… lower half from view, otherwise she may have lost her nerve. It wasn't that she hadn't _seen_ once before (she's lived in England for nearly ten years and there have been quite a few drunk streakers to cross her path) but the fact that it was her _boyfriend_ made her feel like a blushing maid.

Backing away from the door, Anna called upon her Inner American to boost her confidence before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Finally, she opened the door just wide enough for her to quickly slide in and quietly close it behind her, before she started making her way quietly towards the shower. What was only in reality a few seconds felt like minutes as she crept closer, finally saying 'fuck it' in her mind before quickly pulling back the screen and slipping into the shower right behind Ivan. Before he had a chance to turn around Anna quickly wrapped her arms around his back from behind, shivering as their bare skin collided and she was quickly soaked by the rushing water. Maybe it was the shower, but for someone who lived in the cold for so long, he was surprisingly warm!

"Gottcha!" she exclaimed giggling. Ivan turned to look down at her and smiled.

"Oh dear, you caught me. Now what will do you?" he asked teasingly. Anna pretended to give it some thought.

"Don't know, didn't really plan this far. Sometimes I just get too impatient and act on things before I think about them…" she replied with an exaggerated shrug. Ivan chuckled as he turned around in her grasp and tilted her chin up, a hazy heat alight in his eyes. God how she loved his eyes…

"How like an American…" he muttered, no real malice lacing his jab at her lineage.

"Half American sweetie," Anna countered tapping his nose for emphasis, "just enough to keep things exciting."

"Enough to be very impatient, da?" Ivan murmured, leaning down to nuzzle into her neck. Anna shivered at the action, his warm breath ghosting over skin driving her mad.

"Well then, what are you going to do about it?" she challenged, perhaps unwisely in some people's point of view. Ivan's response was to smirk darkly before capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. Seeing her there, bare to his eyes once again as water darkened and dampened her hair to a deep mahogany color, that mischievous glint in her eyes as droplets crawled down her neck and across her collarbone, drove him to the brink of insanity. Every fibre of his being was screaming for him to take her right there, to mark her all over so that the world knew that she was his and wouldn't dare to even think of hurting her. The way her clever yet sharp tangled and danced with his didn't help either. However, while his hands were everywhere, pressing her ever closer towards his firm body, her hands twitched and spasmed on his shoulders, as if itching to move but being restrained from doing so.

"Touch me Anya…" Ivan murmured against her lips. Anna pulled back, worry present in her eyes.

"But, I don't want, I mean last time I did, you kind of freaked out…" she rambled, breathless and beet faced from the earlier activity. Ivan smiled at her consideration and took her hand in his, and much like she had done, pressed her hand against the side of his neck, breath hitching only slightly as her cool hand sent electric shocks through his system. Anna's eyes widened, asking if this was really okay, only to be answered by a slower but no less passionate kiss. Taking the hint, Anna quickly wrapped her arm around his neck while threading her other hand through his hair, smiling as Ivan let out a pleasured groan from the action. The kiss quickly grew in intensity, Anna unable to keep up with the sensations flying through her head as he quickly dominated the kiss. To be held so close to him, completely bare mind you, water splashing on them in a continuous stream, it was becoming too much…

When Ivan once again surprised her by pulling away and quickly bending down to pick her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist, a gasp torn from her mouth as her back came in contact with the wall. The action caused her rapidly heating womanhood to brush against something hard… dear lord, he was huge! She thought as her face deepened in red color.

"I need you, подсолнечника…" he rasped, fire and want turning his violet eyes almost deep blue with desire. Anna decided to answer by leaning forwards to kiss and nip ever so lightly at the area where his neck met the area just underneath his ear, causing him to moan and grunt every time her teeth brushed his sensitive skin. Now he was really going to punish his little Kotik** later…

"Well then Ivan, if you want me… t-" Anna started to purr when the sound of a door slamming open echoed throughout the entire house.

"Hello! Mon chère Russe!" the sing song voice of France called. The two participants in the shower froze in shock while one thought ran through their minds at the same time.

Are you kidding me?!

Translation:

*- My sunflower

**- Kitten

 **AN: Oh, France you cock-block... the irony is strong with this one haha! I may not be updating as often as I get busier with classes, but stand firm! I will update as regularly as my schedule will allow. Until next time!**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Sorry I haven't updated lately, classes and such have been stressful! But I'm back with a long chappie this time. I should note that at the time that I'm posting this, the Paris attacks are currently going on. I will be referencing it very briefly in this fic, but know that my thoughts and prayers are with the survivors of this barbaric action and with the people who did not make it. Keep France in your prayers. #PrayforParis**

"I don't think I've ever wanted to kill that frog more than I do now." Anna grumped, though there were no real bite to her words. Ivan nodded in agreement.

"Da, though you need to get in line…" he muttered, the various murderous thoughts running across his face like a cinema. Anna smiled and shook her head as he let her down on to the floor.

"Yo, Russia! Is Anna here?" America shouted.

"I don't know why you drag me over here, this is most inconvenient!" Wait, was that China? What the hell?

"I think that's our cue to leave. You go out first, I'll follow in a moment." Anna ordered quickly climbing out of the shower and starting to dry herself off. It was then that Ivan noticed something on Anna's left shoulder blade.

"Anya, you have tattoo?" he asked. Anna started for a moment then relaxed. Indeed, during her first year in university as a World History undergrad, she got a tattoo. Specifically, of a phoenix drawn in a simple filigree fashion that held a degree of elegance.

"Indeed, it's my reminder to persevere through all the bad stuff, because in the end it makes you a better person than what you were before. The past should stay with the ashes, or else, you won't be able to burn as brightly." Anna explained, a gentle smile on her face as her eyes softened.

"It suits you perfectly." Ivan said smiling. She looked up to to tell Ivan to hurry on out to greet the guests, but the words died when she took in the marks that covered his chest.

So many scars, of varying size, shape and color, criss crossed and marred the skin of his chest and arms like a morbid painting. The worst one appeared to a ragged gash right over his heart, almost as if someone had tried to carve something out with a serrated dull knife. What was worse was that it still looked just healed. However, in a strange way, it rather suited him. In a way, they made him look more human, more relatable, and dare she say it… vulnerable. Each hardship shows somewhere on their bodies, Arthur had said. Russia, she knew very well, has seen and felt a lot of hardships. From where (or when) could the one over his heart be? Anna wondered.

Ivan seemed to tense at her staring. Did they repulse her, scare her even? He was just about to duck his head and bolt when she approached (now somewhat modestly wrapped in a towel) and hugged him. She made a point to stand on her toes so she could place her head over his heart again, as if to confirm it was still there and beating strongly, and lightly nuzzled her face into the area. This was her way of silently saying that this was okay, that she didn't mind how damaged he was. To her, he was and always will be beautiful. Ivan swore that his heart would leap out of his chest…

Which, actually, it did.

Anna heard a wet 'popping' sound before something heavy yet slightly bouncy hit the top of her head. It was so sudden she pulled back just in time to catch the warm, slightly bloody, still beating human heart in her hands. Resembling a guppy at feeding time, Anna just stared at the heart in her hands, glancing up only to see that the wound over Ivan's… cardial cavity… had reopened yet was not bleeding. Ivan blushed in embarrassment and turned away.

"Sorry, it just comes out sometimes." he muttered. Anna nodded dumbly.

"Right…. does it…. go back in?" she squeaked, still staring unblinkingly at the organ in her hand- OH MY GOD IT SPURTED! Anna felt suddenly lightheaded and fell backwards in a dead faint. Ivan managed to catch her before she hit the ground and simultaneously retrieved his heart and put it back in his chest. Perhaps it was blessing she didn't see that, he thought as he proceeded to carry her bridal style to her room. Now to deal with the intruders… or guests rather.

…

Arthur scowled, where the bloody hell was that Russian? It didn't help his nerves that Anna didn't respond either.

"Think they went out somewhere?" America asked.

"Where would zhey have gone? Everyzhing in zhis country is covered with snow!" France whined, shaking in his boots.

"Damn it all, the one time we actually need that bloody psycho and he's not here…" England bit out when he felt a disturbing presence come up from behind him.

"You say something Mister England?" Russia asked creepily. England jumped back five feet before straightening himself out and taking in Russia's more relaxed appearance; wet hair, clean sweatpants and a sweater complete with his scarf, only more loosely wrapped than normal.

"Ah, right. Sorry for intruding like this, but it is a bit of an emergency. Where's Anna?" he asked.

"Upstairs, she'll be down in a moment. What is wrong?" Russia asked. It was then that he noticed China in the room, though he was glad to see his southern neighbor in his house, it confused him as to why he was there.

"We have some important information regarding Hive; we berieve we've found where they're hiding Spain." Japan stated. Russia didn't show any outwards appearance of shock or surprise, but inwardly was relieved. He knew how much Spain's abduction affected Anya, she would be pleased to-

"That's amazing! Where is he? How did you find him?" Anna asked from the upstairs banister before quickly descending downstairs. Impeccable timing! Ivan saw that she had dried her hair and dressed in a dark blue turtleneck (to hide any possible marks she had, no doubt) and black jeans and blue socks with red crescent moons on them, glasses in place, though falling off her face slightly.

"Hey Anna! There you are, how're those glasses working for ya?" America asked, pleased to see that the girl was alright.

"I see perfectly, though they're are a bit big… need to get them adjusted." Anna replied pushing them back into place. America protruded a little kit with small silver tools and motioned her over.

"Here, I'll fix that for ya." he offered.

"Thanks! So, you guys said that you found Spain?" Anna asked as America fitted the glasses to fit her face.

"Indeed. Ve intercepted a transmission yesterday regarding supply runs and 'recruitment' stats. Ve vere able to triangulate the signal they vere using and found that it originated from somevhere in the Himalayas." Germany responded. Anna was startled by this.

"They're holed up in Tibet?" she asked, accidently moving her head and poking her eye on one of the instruments America was using, "Ow!"

"Sorry!"

"No, it was my bad…"

"Ve're not sure, ve've tried getting in contact with Tibet, Nepal, and Pakistan on the matter and they've yet to respond." he replied.

"How are you sure that it's where Spain is?"

"They mentioned something about 'keeping the guest' comfortable, so we could only assume they mean Spain." England replied. Romano shot him an annoyed look.

"Well make damn sure you limey bastard, we haven't got time to go on wild goose chases!" he bit out. While England had to suppress and eye roll at the uncreative insult, he could understand Romano's impatience.

"Time?" Anna asked nervously. The countries present looked at each other uncomfortably before Canada answered.

"The supplies they wanted was for something called 'S-14' and how it was sure to be part of the 'final solution…'" he said quietly. Final solution? If anything about studying war time history taught her about organized terrorists, is to never trust the words 'final solution.' A quick glance towards Germany showed that his thoughts were on a similar track…

"So, what's the plan then?" she asked. At this point America had finished adjusting her glasses. Giving her head a quick shake, she was pleased that they stayed in place. Giving him a quick thanks and a bright smile, Anna turned to hear what they had to say.

"Well, that's why we're here see. We even had to bring China over here to see what our prospects are in the east." England replied.

"Do you all want to go in my office?" Russia asked.

"I'd rather just stay down here, it's less crowded that way." America replied flopping unceremoniously on the couch, earning a reproachful glare from England for his show of rudeness. Anna on the other hand smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Makes sense. Hey Feli, Lovi, want to help me make-ACK!" Anna didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before Italy zoomed past her and dragged her into the kitchen, Romano following spouting angry comments over her choice of nick name. The other countries looked on in confusion before settling in different places around the living room, ready to discuss the recon and retrieval of their kidnapped comrade.

...

The kitchen by then was already a cacophony of arguments and shouting; Italy wanted to make pasta, as if there were anyone surprised, Romano wanted to make a 'real Italian pizza' while Anna was simultaneously trying to mediate between the two brothers and trying to say that more 'hearty' dish might be better against the cold. It was then that Anna saw a bottle of whiskey in the cabinet above her. Well, if she was dealing with two squabbling Italians, she reasoned, she could use a drink. Ooh, British made! Even better.

"Stupido! We had pasta yesterday!" Romano shouted in Italy's face. The latter was trembling and held his hands up in surrender.

"B-b-but fratello, pizza takes a long time to make, si?" he argued feebly. Anna took this moment to step in between the two.

"Guys guys, let's just chill for a moment and think through this rationally…" she placated, a small blush already on her face.

"Shut up sadist bitch, you'll only take his side!" Anna almost rolled her eyes.

"Lovino, I don't take sides. All I'm saying, we are a lot of people, and yes, we had pasta already… but-" she started to reason, swaying slightly. How strong was that whisky again?

"Listen here, pipsqu-" Romano started to argue when Anna narrowed her eyes into an evil glare.

"Finish that word, that curl is being yanked out." she said darkly, causing Romano to flinch and cower in the corner.

"Y-you wouldn't dare….!" he protested. Anna merely raised an eyebrow as the evil aura manifesting around her grew larger. Oh, hell yes she would!

"Vhat the hell is vith all this noise?!" Germany's sudden intrusion broke the tension and all three in the room huddled together away from the tall German.

"NOTHING! Nothing, we're all getting along, right guys?" Anna defended with a too-bright smile, wrapping her arms around the brothers while squeezing the chi point on Romano's shoulder as a "play along or I'll hurt you" warning.

"Oh sure, we were just fine until you interrupted potato bastard!" Romano bit out, trying hard not to cry out at the sheer force Anna was exerting on his shoulder. It didn't help that black was starting to seep into his vision.

"Just keep it down, ve're trying to work!" Germany grunted before turning to return to the living room. Anna and Italy saluted.

"Yes sir!" they chorused while Romano just humphed to himself. Once Germany was out of sight did Anna release her grip on Romano, who crumbled to the ground feeling slightly numb as the circulation to his brain was resumed.

"Right! So, now that that's settled, let me propose this to; we shall make a French dish called boeuf bourguignon, with _pasta,_ and a side of _garlic bread and tomato pesto._ Is that acceptable?" Anna declared, hands on her hips as she faced the Italian brothers. Taken aback by her sudden assertiveness, both brothers nodded and set to getting the right ingredients.

Meanwhile, back in the livingroom, things were no less chaotic.

"Why don't we just blow the holy hell out of 'em? Bang, boom we win!" America suggested loudly, fist bumping the air as he finsihed.

"Dummkopf! Not only will that destroy one of the vorld's natural vonders, but you risk Spain's life as vell, use your brain!" Germany protested.

"I agree with Germany, this is one situation where we can't rush in guns blazing. We don't even know where in the mountains they even are." England added.

"Indeed, they vanish off our sensors before we can pinpoint them. Very mysterious…"Japan commented. The seven nations fell into silence, the only thing making noise were the sounds of pots and pans clashing over the (quieter) conversations of the three chefs in the kitchen, when all of the sudden…

"Romano! I told you, it already has enough salt!" the voice of Anna protested loudly, though slightly slurred, the Nations noticed.

"Pah, as if I trust your English tastebuds sadist bitch! It's bland as fuck!" Romano argued.

"I think fratello is right Anna…" Italy agreed, though was ignored by the other two.

"Oh, pish posh! Besides, I'm only half English, and their food isn't that bad you drama queens." Anna retorted, everyone could hear her roll her eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah, and you're also half American which is even worse!"

"Okay, now you're just being racist and mean…"

"GIVE ME THE GODDAMN SALT BITCH!" After that the argument faded into the background as the three fought over the spice content of whatever they were making, when a light bulb went off in Germany's head.

"Salt…." he said thoughtfully. The other countries looked at him curiously, what about the table setting?

"What's up bro?" America asked.

"China, veren't there a lot of crystal salt mines back in the day?" he asked the older asian nation. China quickly caught on to Germany's train of thought.

"You are right! Many were close down because you capitalist pig countries kept ruining sacred ground. Do you think Hive is hiding in the mines?" China questioned.

"It's possible, plus it vould explain vhy they haven't been showing on our radars." Germany reasoned.

"So, should we send drones or a recon team to check things out?" America suggested.

"Too obvious, plus at this point it's safe to assume that they have spies among us. It's the only explanation I can fathom given the events at the Kremlin." England said.

"So, what do you suggest we do Engrand-san?" Japan asked. England rubbed his forehead in exhaustion as he let out a heavy sigh.

"It seems we have no choice, we may have to go check things out ourselves." he stated.

"Um, not to interrupt, but wouldn't they expect that also? You guys are on their hit list and everything," Anna interjected, walking (with a slight sway) out of the kitchen, "and the food is done by the way, come eat!"

"It is possible, but it seems our hands are tied." England said, causing Anna to furrow her brow in concern. He noticed the slight flush to her face, but chalked it up to being in a hot kitchen.

"But what about back home? Didn't you say things were crazy? I mean, can you really afford to go on a rescue mission right now?" Anna countered. While she did raise a valid point, none of the other countries really knew what else they could do.

"It's as you said before Anna, it's totally unheroic to leave Spain where he is." America said.

"Oh I know, and I'm not protesting or anything. I just want to make sure that it's really what you guys should do." Anna quickly corrected, waving her hands dismissively.

"This will merely be a reconnaissance and a retrieval operation, this isn't the final showdown or anything." England said, trying to calm her.

"I know, it's just… I don't want anymore of y'all to get hurt or taken. You guys mean a lot to me, you know?" Anna said softly, casting her eyes downward. It was rare that she was this emotional, and in Russia's case, she looked unbearably cute!

"Aw, cheer up sport! This will be a cinch for us!" America comforted, walking up to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Anna sent a grateful smile his way as France stood up and started making his way towards the kitchen.

"Why don't we put zhis business behind us for now and enjoy the fabulous meal our dear Anna has prepared for us, non?" France suggested with a wink, surrounded by head sparkles.

"As long as _pizza-for-brains_ didn't overseason it, I hope you guys like it!" Anna said, casting a glare towards the kitchen before facing the others with a bright smile.

"At least I'm trying to make this crap edible you tasteless yankee-brit half breed!" Romano retorted angrily. Instantly a fiery aura manifested around Anna and she growled loudly as she made a beeline for the kitchen, only to be held back by both America and England.

"I'LL SHOW YOU TASTELESS, YOU BLOODY PASTA LOVING WANKER!" she shouted angrily, flailing so that both her feet were swinging wildly off the ground. Russia giggled, his Anya was even cuter when she was angry! England and America tried to calm her down while Italy served out everyone's meals, Romano realizing his possibly fatal error and hiding behind Germany's legs. Of all of that bitch's crazy Rules that he had to go and break…!

"Dude, Anna, chill out man!" America said loudly over the girl's growls, when he sniffed the air and caught the whiff of liquor. Oh no…

"Anna, have you been drinkin'?" he asked carefully. Please don't be like England when he's drunk, please don't be like England when he's drunk, America thought over and over as she turned to glare at him. He knew that look all too well. Yup, definitely like England…

"And so what, you stupid yank, it's all your fault!" she accused before turning away to pout.

"Anna, I'm not sure what America had to do with what Romano said…" England tried to reason, sweat dropping at the sight before him. So, this was why no one wanted to drink with him…

"Shuddap, you're to blame too! It's your guyses fault that I don't get no respect!" Anna proclaimed, slowly becoming less proficent at speaking the English language. Whiskey took a little longer to kick in, but when it does. Well, just watch.

"What are you tarking about Anna-san? Have you been disrespected at arru?" Japan asked. Anna managed to wrench herself out of England and America's grasp before she sat down on the floor with her legs and arms crossed.

"Not you, everyone else! Because I sound like him," she pointed to America, swaying as she did, "no one takes me seriously! And because I act like him," she pointed to England, "people think I'm a waffly twat! Either way I get no respect from people. Am I American? Am I British? I don't fucking know! I never felt at home nowhere before now, and now that y'all calling me half breed, poser, etc… I can't stand it no more! I'm Anna Colins and I take no-" she ranted before England stepped in and quieted her down. By then she had burst into tears, everyone stunned by this show of angst from their usually plucky friend. Romano especially felt guilty.

"There there now, no one is making fun of you here. You are invaluable as a friend and already you've been a great help to us. Now, why don't we all go into the kitchen and enjoy that lovely meal the three of you made for us?" England spoke softly as if to a small child. Anna looked up from her sobbing and nodded slowly. At this point Russia helped her to her feet and took her aside for a moment to help her shape up as everyone else went into the kitchen.

The rest of the evening was peaceful, and when Anna had sobered up some and cleaned herself up, the whole house was filled with laughter, banter, and the occasional slice of garlic bread thrown whenever anyone said anything stupid. Romano had apologized to her (though threatened to tear her hair out in case she said anything) which Anna accepted (on the grounds that she be allowed one slap whenever she wanted) so they were on good grounds. Anna's dish was an immediate success (despite England grumbling that his food tasted better) with France giving her a wink of approval. Anna then took this time to see all the faces smiling and talking to each other. She looked over at Russia to see that his smile was actually reaching his eyes, who knew when was the last time his house was so lively?

Different governments, religions, languages, all getting along together in a balanced state of harmony and craziness. This, this is what the world could be one day… and she was glad to be friends with these unique people.

When all of the sudden, the peace was broken as France suddenly cried out in pain, clutching his heart as he doubled over.

"France, what's wrong?" Anna asked rushing to the Frenchman's side.

"Mon coeur, il brûle…" France grunted. His heart…? Did he mean…? All of the sudden, Anna got a vision in her mind's eye. An explosion, gunshots, people screaming and crying as people were being carried out of a theater… Moved by some unseen force, Anna ran into the living room and quickly switched on the T.V. What she saw on the news made her gasp in horror.

"Anna, what the bloody hell is going on?" England demanded, staying near France as he tried to right himself.

"It's Paris, it's been attacked!"

 **AN: Sorry for any emotional rollercoasters there folks. Again, my thoughts and prayers for Paris. As we all know France, we'll be sure that he'll be back to his usual self in no time. Vivre la France!**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: And, update! Things have been hectic so it has been hell for me to get any writing done :P But, I dedicate this chapter to the victims and families of Paris, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, and other cities and countries under attack from ISIS and western apathy. We are humanity, as a whole we will go on.**

"...and it appears that we have a confirmed count of at least 118 people dead and over 180 injured. We fear that the numbers may continue to grow..." the reporter on the news said, every occupant in Russia's house huddling around the T.V. France was on the phone, speaking rapidly with the French President with panic evident in his voice. Anna couldn't understand what he was saying, but no doubt he desperately wanted to get back home as soon as possible in order to be there for his people. Unfortunately, General Winter decided to visit once more and as it stood, everyone was snowed in for the night.

America eventually walked away from the TV to comfort the Frenchman, no doubt the events taking place in Paris reminding him of the sudden terrorist attacks of 9/11. Anna's heart felt heavy at the grave expression on his face. France was America's oldest ally, despite their current disagreements, so it would only make sense that America be there to support him in this time of crisis. He even offered to speak with France's boss himself to offer any support he can, surprising Anna with his fluent-sounding French. I guess that's what happens when you're a country made almost entirely by immigrants, Anna thought. Languages just come naturally. But of all times for something like this to happen…. as if the world wasn't going crazy enough!

"I cannot wait anymore mes amis, I must use zhe Pazhways." France announced heading for the door with his coat in hand.

"Um, it's a blizzard out there? You will freeze to death in minutes! Trust me, I know!" Anna protested. Besides, what Pathways was he talking about?

"Don't worry, he's just going to use our special way of gettin' around." America comforted. Upon seeing Anna's confused face, Japan offered to explain.

"We Nations can use speciaru pathways that onry we can see. To use them require great amount of concentration and energy these days, but they are usefuru in emergency rike this."

"Hang on, are you guys talking about the Ley Lines? The supposed web of energy between the landmasses?" Anna asked, having learned a little on the subject during her studies.

"Indeed, though I assure you they're quite real." England confirmed. His country was famous for making Ley Lines common knowledge to the world, he thought proudly, even though only he knew of their real purpose.

"So, you guys can actually use them to travel from place to place?"

"Oui, but as Japon said, it takes a lot of energy on our part. I must go now, for my people." France said, fastening his coat.

"Dude, are you sure?" America asked. France only sent a determined glare his way before quickly opening the door and vanishing into the snowy night. Once again, Anna found herself praying to a god that she didn't believe in so that France found his way home and didn't get hurt. Everyone stood in silence before the news reporter paused in her ramblings.

"We just had word from the UN, they have received another statement from the mysterious group known as Hive. They are not claiming responsibilities for these attacks, but they have requested that an audio message be aired… hang on, something is happening with our sound…" the voice cracked until the screen behind the reporter turned black, the word HIVE in large white letters appearing from the shadow. Anna felt large arms wrap around her from behind, and, knowing that it was Ivan, she leaned back into the touch and held his arm for comfort as a distorted voice started to speak.

" _My friends, how much longer will cities and people have to be slaughtered in droves such as this? Is this not proof at how much the world has gotten sick? Rejoice, for we are the ones who will heal this sickness…"_ at that moment Anna's phone rang. Pulling away from Ivan, Anna took out her phone and saw that it was Kaitlyn.

"Kate, this isn't the best time…" she started to say as she picked up the phone.

"Have you seen what's happening to Paris? Is France okay?" Kaitlyn asked quickly, panic in her voice. Ann reeled back in surprise, this was happening back in her world as well? Well, of course, they were parallels of each other…

"Yeah, I see it. France went back home, apparently these guys use the Ley Lines to travel place to place so quickly." Anna replied, rubbing her head in frustration. Then an idea hit her…!

"Oh really? That's interesting. Anna, what's wrong?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Hey, you can identify a person's nationality right down to the region even over voice recording right?" Anna asked. She could practically hear the eyeroll on the other side.

"Anna, how long have you known me? Of course I can, but what…?"

"I'm putting you on speaker, listen to this and tell me where this guy is from!" Anna declared before hitting the speaker button and holding the phone near the T.V.

" _... and where is your precious Nation? Where is "Monsieur France" now? It is clear that he can no longer take care of his people, that 'France' cannot save its citizens. It was targeted because it was 'France,' because the world celebrates 'France,' because people will mourn for 'France.' But what if there were no 'France?' Would it hurt as much? Would the evil of this world even target this one city? These are the questions we dare to ask, and even answer. All we ask, is that you listen, and join us! For we are the collective. We are the visionaries, the builders, and the dreamers. WE are the HIVE."_ And with that, the message cut out and the new station started clambering for an explanation while Anna returned to her phone.

"Did you get that?" Anna asked.

"Eastern Ukrainian, I'm positive of it." Kaitlyn answered.

"Kate, you're brilliant! Hey, guys?" Anna turned towards everyone else, who by this point was looking at her with confusion.

"What is it, who's on the phone?" England asked.

"It's my friend Kaitlyn, she's identified the nationality of the speaker just now."

"How? The voice is all distorted and such." America asked, scratching his head puzzledly. Anna quickly put Kaitlyn back on speaker.

"Hardly, if you bothered to use those things called ears, you'd have heard how much he was sinking his teeth into the w's. He's from Eastern Ukraine, and I wager he was about in his mid to late fifties at most as well." Kaitlyn declared assuredly.

"Are you sure about that?" England asked. Anna sighed and shook her head when she heard Kaitlyn's breath hitch at the sound of England's voice.

"Oh, well I mean, of course! I mean, Anna probably knows more about the slavic regions than I do…"

"History and cultural development, not language." Anna reminded, smiling in spite of her mild annoyance.

"... But," Kaitlyn cut in, "I'm positive that's where he's from."

"Well, excellent! We appreciate your help Miss… I'm sorry, what is your surname?" England asked.

"Carmichael, but please, by all means call me Kaitlyn, or Kate." she gushed. England nodded thoughtfully, a small smile on his face.

"Kate… very well then, thank you Kate."

"Yes, thank you Kate. Goodbye now." Anna cut in sarcastically before hanging up and shooting a quick reprimanding glare at the Briton. Honestly, of all times for her more sensible, logical friend to go all romantic…

"Russia-san, perhaps we shourd carru your sister. This man is from her home, she may know who is responsible for this messages." Japan suggested.

"Big Sister? I don't think she will take my call…" Russia said doubtfully.

"Dude, I'll call her, relax." America said before taking out his cell phone. Unfortunately, the call went right to voicemail.

"It is quite late, she may be asleep." England suggested.

"This is emergency! Call emergency line!" China demanded.

"No, it is late, and this can wait till morning, da? Besides, Ukraine is real cry baby when she gets woken up." Russia said. Looking around at everyone, exhaustion was evident on their faces. Italy by this point had already dozed off on the couch, Romano snoozing upright next to him. It had been a long day for everyone…

Then the house phone started to ring, causing everyone to jump. Great, what's next? Anna thought with a heavy sigh as Ivan went over to answer.

"Привет?*" Ivan asked into the phone. A few moments passed with people standing around awkwardly when Ivan froze all of the sudden and dropped the receiver with a loud clatter. Everyone turned at the sound in shock.

"Ivan, what's wrong?" Anna asked running up to him. Ivan was shaking, a look of horror plastered on his face. A foreboding aura began to manifest causing the other countries to back away, England muttering something about 'bad omens' under his breath.

"Они взяли их …**" Ivan growled, his expression melting into one of pure anger. Lord have mercy on our souls, Anna thought despite herself as she gulped nervously.

"Кто взял их?***" Anna asked, confusion and fear evident in her voice. She flinched when he turned to look at her, eyes almost dark blue with rage.

"My sisters, they took my sisters!" Ivan shouted before quickly turning to storm into the kitchen. The noise woke the Italian brothers and everyone was on their feet following after the Russian.

"Russia, let's not be hasty…"

"Dude, this is so totally a trap!"

"I agree with America, we need to come up with a pran…"

"Veee…? What's going on- EEK!"

Italy's wail was due to the fact that Russia marched out of the kitchen, Magic Pipe of Pain in hand with a deadly aura surrounding his form, the dreaded "kolkolkol…" falling past his lips. Everyone quickly shut up and backed away quickly, except for, of course because who else is crazy enough, Anna.

"Ivan Braginsky! This is NOT the time to be making any rash decisions here. We are trapped in the middle of a blizzard and we cannot gather our full strength until morning, we are in no position to 'storm the keep' or whatever it is you plan on doing. I can't believe I'm saying this, but America is right (said country glared in protest at the statement); these people are more than likely using the love you have for your family against you. So you have to be the stronger person and sit your butt back down so that we can plan our next move, do I make myself clear mister?" Anna stated in an authoritative tone, pointing at Ivan's face for emphasis. Ivan narrowed his eyes slightly at her defiance, but she stood unwavering to his intimidating presence. America almost jumped forward to intervene when he saw the ends of Ivan's scarf started to hover towards her in a threatening manner, but she merely cocked a brow and silent dared him to try something. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and the evil aura dissipated, everyone in the room breathing a sigh of relief.

"You are right, Anya… we leave first thing in morning." he stated coldly, turning to replace his pipe to its home, wherever that may be. Everyone at that point agreed to retire for the night and proceeded to find guest quarters to sleep. Italy and Romano offered to sleep together, well Italy more so than Romano, but Anna insisted that one of them use her room. Besides, she thought, she wanted to spend tonight with someone she loved.

She was scared that this may be the last she would see him for a while.

…

Anna sat on Ivan's bed, a large queen size with fluffy cream sheets, waiting for him to come back. The room was brightly colored, with green wallpaper covered in, you guessed it, sunflowers, and old photographs of Ivan as the Soviet Union with his, *ahem,* 'friends' and family with him. Even in the dim lamplight the room felt inviting and bright. She idly played with the leaves of the Sunflower plushie that sat in between the pillows, smiling slightly at the whimsical smile it gave her. A part of her felt bad for having to put her foot down with Ivan earlier, but she did it to make sure he didn't do anything that could get him hurt. Or worse…

She shuddered at the thought as it crossed her brain. Already Spain must have undergone unspeakable torture at the hands of this bat-shit crazy organization. And now Ukraine and Belarus too? Animals, the lot of them. She hoped that they got to them in time come tomorrow, god, she almost didn't want tomorrow to come! This felt like preparing to go to war, and needless to say, all the books, documentaries, movies and first hand accounts she read and followed could never describe the real feeling. It was like all the air had gone perfectly still, tension rising in her stomach threatening to consume and burn her from the inside. It was, for lack of better words, a living nightmare waiting to happen.

Which is why she was sat there, wearing a black cami-top over a pair of fuzzy green pajama pants covered in sunflowers that Ivan had bought her as a gift. Ivan, Ivan Ivan Ivan… no matter how many times she said or thought his name, she still felt her insides curl and warm pleasantly from somewhere deep in her core. It hurt her when he reacted so coldly to her just before, and now she wanted to make sure that they were on the same page come dawn.

And as luck would have it, Anna jumped when she heard the door handle move and Ivan walked through the door.

"Anya, what are you doing here?" Ivan asked, surprised to see his sunflower in his room, on his bed, waiting for him… She looked away from his gaze for a moment blushing, then looked at him with doe eyes that glimmered even in the dim light.

"I wanted to sleep with you. Is that alright, Vanya?" she replied, testing the waters of their standing by using a nick name. Guilt sank in her stomach when he visibly stiffened and gasped a little at the name, until she saw the small pink blush grace his snow-white cheeks.

"I, I don't think that is good idea…" he said after a moment, frowning when disappointment crept into her gaze.

"Why not?" she asked softly. For all her spitfire and motherly instinct, Ivan had no idea how she could also be so innocent at the same time. When one of her straps fell off her shoulder, accentuating the pale white skin of her decolletage, he all but growled at the sight. All the strength it took not to pounce her right there...

"You've tempted me a lot today, Kotik… I do not want to hurt you…" he said lowly, the sudden heat in his gaze and tone sending shivers down Anna's spine. Despite her growing nerves, Anna quickly lept off the bed and hurried over to where Ivan was standing, reaching behind him to close and lock the door. She did all this before Ivan had a chance to react, and she stood there head hanging down as her shoulders started to shake with the threat of oncoming tears.

"Shut up. I don't care if you hurt me… I'd rather be scarred for life than go through it not once having… been with you," she whispered the last part softly, voice cracking with emotion, "and we don't know what will happen tomorrow! One of you could die or get seriously hurt, even YOU, and… I can't lose anymore people that I care about, I just can't! Don't you get it Ivan, I…! I….! I-I love you!" she shouted, face flushed deep pink with tears streaming down her face. There, she had finally said it, with heart about to burst from her chest and eyes burning with tears. She loved him!

Ivan's eyes widened with shock, his own heart threatening to leap out of his chest again, causing him to clutch at it in order to persuade it to stay in place. His Anya, his little Kotik, his sunflower… she loved him? LOVED him, of all people? He swore that he must have been dreaming, but the sudden fear of rejection that started to creep into her expression brought him crashing back to reality. Not wanting to make her wait any longer, Ivan quickly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. She froze for a moment at the sudden contact, but quickly recovered and melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her. She felt his tongue trace the seam of her lips, begging for entrance, which she quickly granted. His slick muscle moved languidly through her oral cavern, marking each corner as she threaded her hands through his silvery locks and let slip a low moan as her tongue moved against his playfully. The slight pull at the base of his skull and lustful sound caused him to groan and trace his hands down her arms to rest possessively on her waist, eliminating any space between them. Anna never wanted to pull away from his safe embrace, but the need for air became too great and pulled back panting, resting her forehead against his.

"I love you, I love you my Anya… the light of my life, my summer, my sunflower…" Ivan panted, punctuating each endearment with a quick kiss on her face. Anna's heart melted as she smiled lovingly at him, tracing her fingers along the edges of the brown jumper Ivan had worn for bed.

"My Ivan… Vanya, I want to be with you, forever." she whispered leaning up to place a chaste kiss on his lips. She called him that endearing name again! Ivan let something in between a moan and a growl slip by his lips as brought a hand up to brush the side of her face and move a stray lock of red hair away from her crystal blue eyes.

"Become one with Russia, da?" he asked lowly. Had she not been so lost in the moment, Anna would have thrown her head back and laughed at the predictable question. The seriousness and lust that filled his eyes kept her from doing so, so instead she smiled coyly up at him.

"Da, though I'd rather become one with Ivan." she replied cheekily before she leapt up into his arms to wrap her legs around his waist, pulling his face close for another impassioned kiss as he wrapped an arm under her legs and across her back, moving them both quickly to the large bed behind them.

Oh, Anna couldn't wait to see what the night would bring.

Translation:

*- Hello?

**- They took them...

***- Who took them?

Vanya is a common nickname for people named 'Ivan' in Russia

 **AN: AWWW, they finally said 'I love you!' I'm sure you guys know what comes next ;) What do you think about the idea of Nations using Ley Lines to travel? They're a real idea, look it up! It may be a while before my next update, but no worries! The end is in sight my lovelies, and the sequels are alreading in planning stages ;)**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: Well. Here it is. No doubt what all you little perverts have been waiting for. Lemon warning for this chapter. If you're underage, please skip. Innocence is meant to be cherished... oh fuck it, you guys have probably stopped reading this after the word 'lemon' and now you're already reading the chapter. Well, enjoy! Don't forget to review ;P**

They fell on the bed, a flurry of kisses, passionate caresses and heated gasps. Ivan wasted no time in divesting himself of his sweater and thermal sleep shirt, Anna gasping as his strong yet scarred chest was revealed to her eyes once more. Anna's hands moved on their own, tracing and stroking each mark she could reach as Ivan kissed her senseless, as if trying to erase centuries of pain and hardship with each loving touch. However, her mind was too far gone to even consider using her ability at this moment. What would be a worse way to kill the mood?

Ivan groaned as her fingertips grazed his skin, threading one hand through her soft hair to pull her head back as to attack the pale column of her throat with heated kisses. Each mewl that escaped from her lips encouraged him, his kisses turning into licks, licks into nips, nips into possessive yet gentle bites followed by an apologizing peck to the abused skin.

"I-Ivan, ah! Don't… leave mar- AH!" Anna started to protest before Ivan gave her a particularly harsh bite into the soft part of her neck, silencing any further words from escaping her mouth. Ivan sat up to glare pointedly at her.

"You are mine, kotik. Everyone will know it." he declared huskily before leaning down to attack her lips once again. Anna moaned into the kiss, bringing Ivan's head closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ivan slipped his hand under her cami, smirking when she hissed through her teeth as his cold hands slid over her heated skin.

"C-Cold… your hands…" she shivered as he distracted her with kisses trailed along her collarbone. She could feel him smirk against her skin, the smug bastard!

"Warm them with your heat, моя любовь…*" he whispered before quickly ridding her of her cami and pajama bottoms in one swift move. Anna laid there stunned, reflexively covering herself as she was suddenly exposed to the chill of the air. However, she soon found her hands caught in an iron grip as Ivan pinned them above her head, growling as he did so.

"NEVER, cover yourself kotik," he said pointedly, "you are beautiful." And with that he leaned down to capture one rosy bud gently with his teeth. Anna keened at the sudden wave of pleasure, biting her lips to keep a moan from escaping her lips. The fact that her hands were still pinned down and rendered useless, frustrated her to no end! She'd be lying though if she said that being totally dominated by the one she loved wasn't exhilarating.

"Don't hold back my sunflower, I want to hear all the lewd noises you make, da?" Ivan ordered before maneuvering his hands so that both of hers fit in one, his now free hand coming down to caress and knead the neglected breast, the double stimulation almost too much for Anna as a moan finally broke past her lips. A searing heat had started to pool in the area between her thighs, the uncomfortable pressure causing her to rub them together for some sweet relief.

"N-AH! Ah, they… they'll hear- Ahn!" Anna protested meekly before his teeth clamped down on her nipple, her back arching further into his mouth.

"Let them hear, let them know you're mine." he purred before quickly removing his scarf to tie both her hands together, leaving both of his hands free to caress, stroke and squeeze at her skin as much as he pleased. His mouth alternated between breasts, keeping her distracted enough to move his hands to start caressing the inner part of her thighs. He had the audacity to tease her by trailing ever closer towards her core then moving back, causing her to whimper in frustration each time. Finally, her American impatience won out over her British stubbornness.

"T-touch me… please…" she begged, bucking her hips towards his hands for emphasis. Ivan chuckled, lifting his head to smirk down darkly at her.

"Say that again…" he rasped. Anna, as if it were possible, flushed an even deeper red as he bored his gaze into her.

"Touch me… you sadist…" Anna commanded with a touch of sarcasm, daringly lifting one of her pale legs to trace the outside of his still clothed thighs. That would have to be remedied soon, she thought before any manner of thinking ceased when Ivan caught that stray leg and hoisted it around his hip, grinding his clothed erection into her weeping core. Good GOD…! The heat inside of her spiked ten fold as he started to grind into her, each movement tearing a high pitched moan from her. If he kept this up…!

Then he suddenly stopped, releasing her leg and sitting up, smirking down at her even when she growled and glared at him with a look that threatened castration if he didn't get back to business.

"You should watch yourself." he taunted, smiling darkly at her. Anna narrowed her eyes at how blatantly he teased at Rule Number Seven, but soon smirked in defiance.

"And you shouldn't underestimate me, _Russia_ … do your worst." she chided, priding herself in the surprised expression that flitted across his face. Pride turned to apprehension when he let forth a feral growl and she soon found both her legs thrown over his shoulders, his breath ghosting over the red curls covering her womanhood. He wouldn't dare!

"Then I will _punish_ you, little minx…" he seethed as his hands came up to pin her hips to the mattress as he attacked her center with his long tongue. Anna screamed, feeling as if she was being turned inside out and burned alive at the same time, but in the most pleasurable way. Desperately she tried bucking her hips towards his mouth but his strong hands kept her firmly in place, no doubt going to leave bruises come morning. So, all the sensations travelled up her spine, causing her to thrash wildly as the heat inside of her wound tighter and tighter. Her climax finally washed over her when his teeth found that one little bundle of nerves and bit down on it, the head and pressure exploding outwards as she made a sound akin to a scream and a gasp along with his name. When the white lights faded from her eyes, she looked up, panting and sweating as she heard the sound of clothes rustling and there he was, hot and hard against her entrance.

"Ivan… untie me…" she begged, motioning towards her still bound hands. Ivan raised a silver brow at this request.

"Зачем?**" he asked. Anna sent him a gentle smile in response.

"Я хочу прикасаться к тебе, моя любовь*** …" she purred. Ivan shivered. Seeing her lying there, covered in his love marks and sweat, flushed a brilliant pink from pleasure, it was almost enough to undo him. And when she looked up at him with those brilliant, passion filled eyes and whispered sweet words to him in his mother tongue…

"I do not deserve you…" he admitted as he swiftly undid his scarf from around her wrists, shivering in delight when they quickly wrapped around his scarred, sensitive neck. Anna merely shook her head in disagreement.

"It's I who can't believe I'm with you, Vanya… please, take me." she begged, wrapping her legs around his waist to pull him closer to her. Ivan shuddered, leaning his head to fit in the crook of her neck and he slowly pushed into her entrance. Her already labored breathing increased as she felt him start to stretch her, but it was far from uncomfortable or painful.

"I don't want to hurt you, sunflower…" he rasped, his voice shaky from the exertion it took not to slam into her hot vice with all his might. He swore he heard Anna scoff at that.

"I won't break! Please, make me yours!" she pleaded loudly. The last of Ivan's reserves snapped, and he thrust his hips forward quickly, sheathing him completely into her. The unimaginable heat drew a loud gasp from him as Anna's breath caught in her throat. There was no pain as he stilled to let her adjust, years of doing judo paying off in the end. And, Holy Mother Russia… he felt so BIG!

"A-Are you…?" Ivan started to ask when Anna shifted her hips. Yes, she said silently, he could move. His Anya was tough girl, he thought proudly, before succumbing himself to his instinct and quickly setting a powerful rhythm that left his love a moaning, writhing mess beneath him. Each thrust drew a lustful sound from Anna's lips, her clutching and grappling at his neck and shoulders as the overwhelming heat and pleasure built from within her once again only this time more intense than the last. This feeling was compounded when he hit a certain spot deep within her, earning a keening wail as he pounded that one spot relentlessly. She met each of his movements with a roll of her hips, the sound of skin impacting and the small groans that Ivan let forth sending her higher into euphoria. Almost…

"Ah, I-Ivan! H-Harder!" she called out, Ivan only too happy to comply as he unleashed his full strength unto her. He was dangerously close, and by the way his Anya's screams and cries were escalating in pitch and volume, so was she.

"My Anya… my sunflower, come… come for me…" he all but begged as he gave a particularly harsh thrust. That was it. Anna came undone at his words and screamed his name towards the high heavens as she came for the second time that night. A sharp pain in her neck told her that he had lost himself within her as well, biting down on her neck as he rode out both of their orgasms until coming to a stop deep within her.

After an eternity of just clinging at each other, each loathe to end this moment of closeness between them despite panting and being covered in sweat, Ivan slowly pulled out and maneuvered the pair of them to lay underneath the covers. Anna quickly snuggled into his form, fitting herself perfectly so that she could hear his still frantically beating heart from within his chest. She felt Ivan place a gentle kiss on the top of her head, earning a pleased smile from her.

"That was amazing, Vanya…" she cooed softly, the heaviness of sleep weighing down her eyes as Ivan wrapped his arms possessively around her small form.

"We are one now, my sunflower. Always and forever." he replied sleepily. Anna just had the strength to nod happily.

"Da. I won't go anywhere, I promise you…" she vowed, but from the sound of his gentle breathing, he had already fallen into a contented sleep. Smiling happily, Anna followed him into a peaceful slumber.

Translation:

*- My love

**- Why?

***- I want to touch you, my love..

 **AN: Yeah... so, that was a thing.**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: I'm alive! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, life has been hectic! Such is the life of a film student ;) I think it's time to move on with the story, yes? Fairly lighthearted in this chappie, enjoy!**

Anna roused slowly from her slumber, vaguely aware of two strong arms that held her snugly against a pale, broad chest. Memories of last night flooded in as the early morning rays of sunlight highlighted Ivan's peaceful slumbering face, a drowsy smile making it's way on to her face. He looked so at peace, even with disheveled silver hair and a few scratches that Anna had no recollection of giving, and Anna once again wondered how all this ended up happening to her. In little under a month, she had been transported to the wacky world of Hetalia, met and befriended many of her favorite characters, ended up mixed up with some international terrorist organization set on harming them, learned more about herself than she ever dreamed of knowing, and more importantly, fell in love with the most misunderstood yet beautiful man she's ever met. There was no shame, no doubt, no guilt over performing such a sensuous act with him. It just felt… right.

Ivan must've felt her staring, showing signs of waking as he stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked out the drowsiness before looking down at the redhead still leaning against his chest, a content and relieved smile pulling the corners of his lips.

"Good morning!" he exclaimed quietly. Anna giggled and nuzzled into his chest a little with a happy hum.

"Morning."

"You okay, da?" he asked, concern in his eyes. Anna rolled her eyes slightly but nonetheless felt her already warm heart melt further at his boundless consideration for her well-being.

"Of course. In fact, I've never felt better Vanya." she replied truthfully, looking away with a slight blush. Ivan gave a little sigh of relief before kissing the top of her head.

"That makes me glad, I was worried I… hurt you…" he said with a trace of doubt. Anna, wanting to make a point, made to raise on her arms to look down at him pointedly… only to fall back down with an undignified yelp when sharp pain travelled up her spine.

"Nonsense! I'm just tired and my muscles are...wobbly…" she quickly lied when he tensed up in shock. He shook his head in exasperation, while her tough-girl act endeared her to him immensely…

"Do not lie to me sunflower, is okay to say you're hurting. I'm afraid I...wasn't most gentle..." he softly chastised, petting her hair in an attempt to soothe her when she shot him a reproachful yet heatless glare.

"Well of course I'm hurting you lovable oaf… it was my first time… but I certainly have no complaints." she muttered blushing. Ivan simply chuckled at her attempt to save face.

"Is okay, it was my first too!" he exclaimed smiling brightly. At this Anna did pull back in surprise, ignoring the pain in her hips as she gawked at him.

"W-What? Are you serious?!" she squawked. Ivan simply tipped his head in confusion, unsure what her shock was for.

"What you mean?"

"Y-You mean, I'm your first…? After all this time…?" she clarified, blushing at the thought that some other woman had not entranced him into bed until now. He shrugged as a response, smiling thoughtfully.

"Da, my first and only. My beautiful sunflower…" Anna flushed an even deeper scarlet but was so overwhelmed with emotion that she quickly placed a bruising kiss upon his lips, quickly coaxing him to let his tongue come out to play.

"You certainly kiss like a pro…" Anna muttered against his lips when they pulled back for air. Ivan smirked as he started trailing his fingers up and down her spine, earning pleasing whimpers and shivers at the action. Oh, how he wished he could take her again, and again, for all time…

"Let's get you that breakfast, da? Or else you definitely won't be able to walk!" he teased lightly before moving to get out of bed. Anna pouted but relented, wrapping her upper body in the duvet as she marvelled *ehem,* observed, him as he moved to get dressed. He certainly wasn't lacking anything important! The perverseness her thought monologue took on caused Anna to suppress a small squeal and curl into the covers. When, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shimmer in the light.

On the old antique dresser, a silver picture frame lay with a picture of Russia as the Soviet Union surrounded by the other Nations that made up the former superpower. His sisters, Ukraine and Belarus, had the coveted positions on either side of him. The image reminded Anna of what this new day brought for her and her dear friends, and a stone dropped into the pit of her stomach as she curled in on herself fearfully. Ivan was just adjusting his sweater when he saw her change in expression.

"What is the matter Anya?" he asked as he strode back over to her. Anna leaned into him and sighed.

"We're facing Hive today-" she started before Ivan gently lifted her head up to meet his stern gaze. The expression was not one she was used to, and it unnerved her more than the prospect of anyone dying today.

"No my sunflower, you are not coming with us." he stated clearly. Anna was just about to protest when he stooped down and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I could not bear if you got hurt again. This way, you stay safe."

"But Ivan! I want to help! What if you guys get hurt-" Anna begged but Ivan held firm.

"You're not ready for this fight yet, _yet._ One day, you will fight next to me. When you are ready. For now, just wait. We'll be back before dinner, da?" Ivan reassured. Despite every fiber in her being demanding that she argue and plead, or sneak away when they had left, deep down Anna knew that he was right. She was at a tentative point in her life, transition from being a normal human to a living Personification, who knew where her abilities could take her. It was for this reason that Hive wanted to get their hands on her it seemed, to charge in recklessly would be playing into their hands. Of all times for Russia to say something logical…! Finally she let out a sigh of resignation.

"Okay, y'all better be… or else I'll march right on over there and drag all of your sorry asses back myself… after I've broken a few of those bastards' bones, you hear me?" Anna warned, trying hard to choke back tears. Ivan kissed her gently before touching foreheads, the pair of them revelling in just being able to be this close to one another. Eventually, Ivan pulled away, promising to be right back with breakfast, leaving Anna to fall back upon the pillows to soak in the lingering scent that was uniquely and completely Ivan. The smell of fresh fallen snow, pine and musk, and a touch of liquor...

…

Ivan descended the stairs slowly, a content smile on his face. Not only had he become one with his sunflower, he had guaranteed her safety within the next few hours. He couldn't remember a time when he was happier, now, to get her something to eat…

However, the sound of hushed whispers coming from the kitchen reached his ears. Who else was awake?

"Dude, I can't believe they actually did it!"

"I hope she's alright, from the sounds of it it was rather… enthusiastic."

"I couldn't get any fucking sleep!"

"Shh, fratello!"

"They ve're quite loud…"

Ivan merely chuckled to himself as he heard the other countries gossip, deciding to quietly enter the kitchen if only for the pleasure of watching all of them jump apart in shock and try to act natural. The fact that they were still in their sleepwear gave him bigger pleasure smile!

"Good morning! You all sleep well, da?" he asked nonchalantly, inwardly giggling when everyone blushed.

"Um, quite well actually I daresay I slept like the dead. Right, guys?" England answered, non discreetly motioning the others for backup. The others nodded in agreement, except for Romano who merely grunted. America approached Russia with a smug grin.

"What about you Ruski? Get much sleep?" he asked, nudging Russia's arm with his elbow as he winked suggestively. The others balked while Russia simply smiled.

"Da, I slept like little baby!"

"Oh, really?"

"After my Anya and I had the sex of course." Everyone fell to the floor under the sheer bluntness of Russia's statement, while Russia set about making a simple porridge.

"Unberivabru…" Japan muttered as he got up from the floor. Why didn't he have his camera with him when he had the chance?

"Aiyah, I so did not need that image in my brain!" China agreed trying not to look too creeped out.

"At least that idiot France isn't here, that imbecile can smell sex from a mile away…" England stated.

"He's still is Paris dealing with these attacks, if there's one thing he cares about more than sex it's his capital." Germany said sending England a reprimanding glare. Everyone's mood sank as they remembered what had happened only last night. Italy went to go switch on the T.V. which was still on the news, the death toll having only gotten larger even though the attackers were now for the most part in custody. It was at this time that Anna came downstairs, albeit a tad stiffly, dressed in a bathrobe and black leggings with fuzzy socks.

"Morning guys! How is everyone?"

"Ah, good morning Anna! We're all quite well, thank you for asking!" England replied smiling brightly at the girl as she entered the kitchen. Russia looked at her in surprise.

"Are you alright? I would have brought this up!" Anna merely shrugged and flopped down into a chair, hiding a wince behind a cocky smile.

"Nah, I'm too restless. Besides, I wanted to enjoy a meal with you guys before you head off." she replied.

"Vhat? I though you vere going to come vith us?" Germany asked. The other countries looked at her in confusion as Russia brought her her morning tea in a mug (something that needed to remedied soon, she thought).

"I was, however," she replied before taking a sip. Hm, still too much sugar. "I'm still not quite in tune with my abilities as 'Historia' quite yet. Ivan and I figured, if Hive needs the Human Anna, then I shouldn't confront them until I'm Historia Anna." Many of the countries nodded at her reasoning, though America looked a little confused while Italy was completely lost.

"Suit yourself I guess, but are you goin' to be alright here by yourself?" America asked. Anna raised an indignant brow and smirked.

"Do you doubt my ability to defend myself?" she reminded teasingly. Alfred merely laughed and shook his head.

"Um, if it's alright I can stay here! You know, to make sure Historia is safe!" Italy volunteered, appearing behind Anna trembling in fear.

"I wouldn't mind the company!" Anna agreed, vouching in favor for the Italian.

"If he's staying, then so am I!" Romano declared joining his brother.

"Aw, I knew you loved me!" Anna joked placing a hand on his arm, only for him to wrench it away in disgust.

"Don't kid yourself sadist bitch, I'm staying so my idiota fratello doesn't do anything stupido!" he protested. Anna merely nodded, not believing him for a second. Such a tsundere, she thought smiling to herself.

"Very vell, I don't see any problem vith this…" Germany acquiesced. He didn't see how either of the brothers would have been any help, more many obvious reasons...

"I was going to ask Lithuania to come over as well, he has gift for you." Russia stated, causing Anna to jump in surprise.

"A gift? For me? Seriously? He shouldn't have!" Anna protested modestly. Russia merely shrugged.

"I don't get it much either, but is what he said. He'll be here when we're gone, da?" he said.

"Alright. But be sure to ask him _politely_ Ivan, no death threats alright?" Anna chided jokingly with a wink. Russia merely smiled in return while the other countries looked a little uneasy over the brief exchange. Two psychotic peas in a pod it seemed, thought the elephant in the room. The rest of the morning proved to be quite peaceful, none of the countries speaking about the oncoming operation later that day. For this, Anna was grateful. She didn't think that she would have been able to keep it together otherwise. The apprehension of waiting for them to leave was already too much for her nerves.

Eventually, after breakfast was eaten and everyone dressed, Anna, Italy and Romano stood in the front parlor with the other countries who were readying to leave. She was somewhat surprised to see some of them wearing their old WWII regalia for the occasion, namely America's bomber jacket, Britain's belt, and Germany's Iron Cross.

"For good luck, ya know?" America beamed heroically when she asked. Even Russia was wearing his old coat for the occasion.

"You guys be careful alright? And for goodness sakes America, no matter how tempting it may be, don't be a hero this time! Just get in, get them out, and get your asses back here, alright?" Anna fussed, fixing Ivan's scarf around his nervously as the others smiled at her motherly behavior.

"No promises!" America replied with a wink.

"Don't fret love, we'll be back before you know it, with everyone." England emphasised, glancing at Romano as he did. The latter let out a heavy sigh and nodded, not making eye contact as one by one, everyone filled out the door saying goodbye as they did. Until, only Ivan was left.

"Don't cry sunflower…" he cooed as he used his thumbs to wipe away any stray tears that leaked from her eyes. Anna sniffed loudly.

"'M not crying… the cold is hurting my eyes…" she protested weakly before wrapping Ivan in a tight hug around his neck.

"Оставайтесь в безопасности, да?*" Ivan whispered softly. Anna pulled back and nodded, trying her best to smile.

"Да. Ты тоже. Я люблю тебя…**" she replied before pulling him down for a passionate kiss, holding him close to her, afraid that she would never get to hold him again if she let go. Ivan was equally as afraid. The two stayed together as long as they could, before reluctantly Ivan pulled away, leaving her with a last caring caress of her face and a small smile before turning and shutting the door behind him. Leaving Anna alone with the Italian brothers…

…

Not one to stay around and do nothing like a lonely wife, Anna set to get her day started; getting dressed, cleaning the kitchen and just general housekeeping in order to keep herself occupied. Italy wanted to go outside and play in the snow while Romano argued against it, Anna thought it may be a good idea once the wind died down a bit. A couple hours after the other countries had left, there was a knock on the door. It was Italy who answered it to see a shivering Lithuania outside.

"H-Hello? Is Mister Russia here?" Lithuania asked nervously as he was ushered into the household. Anna smiled sympathetically at the poor country as she shook her head, no doubt this house held a plethora of bad memories for him.

"No, he and the others left a while ago. It's just Italy, Romano and me here." Anna reassured. Lithuania relaxed greatly and let out a nervous smile.

"Oh good. Here, I brought you something I think you may like." he said producing a long package wrapped in brown paper and twine. Anna looked at it in curiosity and wonder.

"You didn't have to get me anything! What is it?" Anna asked bringing it over to the couch. It had some weight, but it was far from being heavy.

"Is okay! I was going to give it to you when you visited my home, but I suppose now is good time as ever. Go on, open it!" Lithuania encouraged. Italy and Romano watched in curiosity as Anna carefully tore away the twine and paper, unwrapping the object to reveal…

"An 18th century Lithuanian War Scythe?!" Anna exclaimed with excited gleams in her eyes. Indeed, in her hands was a long pike that had a long, curved blade at the top. It looked more like an overlarge spearhead at first glance, yet the blade was sharpened at the in curve and a bit at the top, perfect for both slicing and stabbing.

"I take it you like it?"

"I LOVE IT! Stand back, I want to see how this baby moves!" Anna declared moving quickly to an open part of the room. The others stood back as she moved her hands into a comfortable position along the shaft and took a stance, breathing in deeply before exhaling slowly. When she opened her eyes, a dangerous yet determined gleam had appeared as she swung and spun the weapon in elegant arc, slicing and stabbing at invisible enemies at various points. The blade whistled through the air as she moved, each movement graceful and fluid yet powerful, like the dance of a flame. She noticed a small trigger near her bottom hand, and when she pulled in the blade fell into a horizontal position, resembling the more traditional scythe as a tail blade appeared at the other end.

"Behold, and tremble…" she muttered to herself as she finished her routine with a final twirl, the blade pointed towards her small audience who jumped at the sudden movement.

"G-Get a hold of yourself s-s-sadist bitch!" Romano shouted trembling terribly, the other two not much well off. Anna quickly calmed down from her brief power-madness and set the weapon carefully upon the coffee table.

"Sorry, I get a little carried away… Thank you Lithuania, I really appreciated your gift! Although, I didn't know they could change the position of the blade like that." Anna said smiling brightly.

"Oh, back in the day they did not. Poland and I made that change ourselves, once we caught wind of your fighting style. I hope that you never have to use it though." Lithuania replied. Anna's smile faltered slightly as she looked out the window, the snow now falling gently outside. She hoped that the others were doing okay…

"I hope so too." she agreed quietly.

"Can we go outside and play now, pleeease?" Italy begged. Anna laughed and quickly grabbed her coat and scarf.

"Sure, we can play for a while!" she replied.

"Hey, Anna?" Italy asked as he and others got their snow gear together.

"What is it?"

"Do you wanna build a snowman?~" Italy sang. Anna immediately sent a deadpan glare.

"I will stab you with my scythe if you so much as think about that song ever again." she threatened lowly. While Italy cowered behind his brother, Anna mentally sighed.

What? With a name like hers, were you surprised we made a reference to-

"DON'T EVEN SAY THE NAME!" Anna shouted as she marched outside.

Sheesh, touchy…

Translation:

*- Stay safe, okay?

**- Yeah. You too. I love you...

 **AN: Apologies to any 'Frozen' fans out there, but the opportunity was too great to pass up lol xD Enjoy the humor while you can kiddies, things get serious from here on out.**


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: New Chappie! This is a long one, and things start to get tense. The climax is in sight, onwards!**

"OMPH! Hey, no headshots!" Anna yelled playfully, wiping the snow from her face before lugging a snowball back at Romano. It was currently the Italy brothers against Anna and Lithuania, and surprisingly Anna and Toris (Lithuania insisted) were losing!

"Take that sadist bitch!" Romano laughed triumphantly before retaliating. Italy was occupied adding extra detail to the snowman they had made earlier, not even noticing that Romano was currently beating the other two in an all out snow war. It was nice to see them having fun, Anna thought before becoming focused on the battle. Lithuania threw a sure shot that smacked Romano in the stomach and seeing him doubled over, Anna took her chance.

"Incoming!" she shouted before grabbing a huge pile of snow and quickly dumping it on Romano's back. The sudden shock and cold had him collapsing to the ground where Anna pinned him down, smirking victoriously.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Romano yelled, despite it being muffled by snow.

"Sorry Lovino, but I won! Admit defeat then I'll get off!" Anna teased. Lovino growled but ceased to struggle to get her off.

"Fine, now move!" with that Anna hopped to her feet with a shit-eating grin and offered to help him up, a good sportsman is she. Of course, he merely scowled and refused, deciding to get up on his own and stomp back to the house.

"Hey, Anna, can we go inside for some cioccolata calda?" Italy asked. Anna took a moment to process what he was asking, languages not being her strongest suit.

"Hot chocolate?" she asked, Italy nodding in response. "Of course Feli! How about you Toris, you up for some?" Lithuania nodded happily and proceeded to go inside.

"Yes, I know a great recipe we can try."

"Stupendo! This is my favorite part of winter!" Italy rejoiced as he floated into the house, Anna laughing as Toris followed him inside. Then a thought hit her; was it really winter already? How much time has she actually spent here in Hetalia? Anna took a moment to mentally calculate the amount of time she's spent here, trying to work in all the montages, quick scene changes and other time-warpy elements and came to the conclusion of…

"Two and a half weeks?!" That was… surprisingly short all things considering… Anna let out an exasperated sigh and started to head inside when she heard the sound of tiny wingbeats approaching.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me? This is an emergency!" a high pitched, adorable voice asked frantically. Anna knew that voice! It couldn't be…?!

"Flying Mint Bunny?" Anna exclaimed in shock and awe. Indeed, flying towards her at a frenzied pace was the too-cute-for-words mint green rabbit with wings… and he looked both troubled and relieved!

"You can really see me? Thank goodness! " he asked, out of breath as he came to a hover near Anna's head. The poor little guy looked exhausted so Anna held her hands out so that he could rest for a moment. A part of her worried about being able to see these magical creatures, thank goodness she shared blood with Arthur!

"Yeah, I have to say you're even more adorable in person! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Anna gushed, a floral background starting manifest around them.

"This isn't for pleasure! Arthur and the others are in trouble!" FMB exclaimed, causing the flora to shatter as Anna came to attention.

"Trouble?!" she repeated loudly, worry growing in the pit of her stomach. FMB nodded.

"Yeah, they went to the mountains but it was an ambush! They all got rounded up and taken deep underground! But that's not the worse part!" Anna didn't know what could be worse!

"What happened?"

"These scary soldier guys took the really tall and scary guy, and injected him with this weird green stuff." Anna's eyes widened in horror. Oh god, Ivan!

"What happened then, is Ivan alright?!" she asked desperately. FMB shivered at the memory.

"He screamed a lot before going all silent and zombie like, it was freaky! Arthur sent me to get help, so here I am! You have to come with me to save them!" he implored. Anna nodded.

"And come with you I shall!" she affirmed.

"Um, Anna, who are you talking to?" Anna turned to see that Lithuania was standing with a tray of four mugs of steaming hot chocolate in his hands, Italy and Romano right behind him. All three were regarding her with curiosity and slight worry. Oh, that's right, no one else can see Flying Mint Bunny…

"Um… no one! I just had a… a vision! Yeah, a vision about the others! They've been captured!" she explained. Doubt of her sanity was replaced by shock and fear.

"Oh no, that's terrible!" Italy cried out, clinging to Romano, who said nothing but looked greatly disturbed.

"Are you certain?" Lithuania asked. Anna nodded, FMB flying off of her hand to stay near her as she went back inside.

"I am, and we have to go rescue them."

"Idiota ragazza! What can the four of us do against a whole freakin' army?!" Romano protested loudly.

"I didn't say that-" Anna started to retaliate before Italy interrupted.

"You can't go by yourself Historia, ve! I'll go with you!"

"Italy…"

"No! You can't get captured too!"

"I agree with Italy, I don't even want to know what Mr. Russia will do to me if you get hurt…" Lithuania shivered. Anna let out a heavy sigh but smiled nonetheless.

"Alright. We'll all go. Lovi? You in?"

"Of course stupida. And don't call me 'Lovi!'"

"No promises. Now, let's get ready then we can leave for-"

"Khewra salt mines, in Pakistan." Flying Mint Bunny whispered in her ear.

"Khewra salt mines, Pakistan. Let's go!" Anna gave a silent thank you to FMB as they went into the house, Anna retrieving her scythe while the others went to grab whatever equipment they needed (Italy had to be persuaded to leave any form of carbohydrates behind). Feeling the weight of the weapon in her hand brought a sense of dread to the pit of Anna's stomach. The edge of the blade was fairly dull, but it could still cause substantial damage and even… death. With that in mind she set about dulling the blade even further, so that it would stun and paralyze, but not slice too deep, leaving the end pointed for shallow stabbings. Death was something she did not want to see this day… nor ever again.

…

An hour later, Anna, Lithuania, and the Italy brothers stood outside, having the locked the house and bundled for the increasing cold weather. FMB hovered by Anna's head.

"So, can you guys show me how to use these Pathways?" Anna asked once everyone was set?

"It's hard to explain, you just find the one that takes you where you want to go, and start following it." Lithuania explained sheepishly.

"Look with your inner eye Anna! You can do it!" FMB encouraged. Inner eye? If she knew that being a Personification included having some sort of chakra awakening or whatever that was… this would take a while…

"The way to Pakistan is right here! See?" Italy exclaimed pointing at the empty air.

"I don't see anything." Anna said, growing frustrated. Romano rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut.

"Just concentrate! This is part of who you are!" FMB encouraged again. Right, concentrate… on finding the right Ley Line that would apparently transport them from snowy plains of Russia to some mine in Pakistan… right, no problem.

Taking a deep breath, Anna closed her eyes and focused only on visualizing what these 'Pathways' could look like. This sort of thing was always more up Kimberly's alley, and what she always stressed was visualization and knowing in your wind what your goal was.

Okay, so a Ley Line… would be golden, like a ribbon of sunlight… yet multicolored like a prism… fluctuating and fluid between colors, much like how a river flows over pebbles… would it pulsate like a heartbeat? Most likely, probably at a rapid rate seeing it was energy… Yeah, she thought, this could be what one would look like. Opening her eyes slowly, she was surprised to see just the smallest of flashes of light appearing in the air. Some were larger than others, pulsing and shining brightly against the grey of the sky.

"I think, I'm starting to see…!"

"Fantastico! Now, which one leads to the mine?" Italy asked. The mine… Khewra mine, Pakistan… Anna thought this over and over in her head like a mantra to a spell as she scanned the various lights and streams that flowed through the air. The more she looked, the clearer she could see… but which one?

"Come on idiota, we don't have all fucking day!" Romano complained, getting impatient. However, it was at this moment that Anna's gaze fixed on a particular Line, brighter than the rest, that seemed to be going south east…

"Is it that one?" she asked pointing to the one in question. Lithuania and Italy's faces lit up while Romano rolled his eyes again. FMB was flying around her head happily.

"Si! Let's go!" Italy exclaimed quickly grabbing her hand and running towards the Pathway. Anna barely had time to catch herself before she realized that the air was starting to move past them at a quicker rate than they were moving. And, more to her shock, it was starting to get hard to breathe!

"Don't panic! Just breathe normal, it will be over in a moment!" FMB's voice whispered in her ear. Anna did her very best, but it felt as if her chest was being slowly constricted by a corset, the pain in her ribs becoming unbearable as they moved almost impossibly faster… oh god, this was going to kill her…!

When they stopped, at the base of a grass covered mountain in a slightly warmer environment.

"Huh…? What the…?" Anna looked around, slightly dizzy and disoriented from that ordeal. Certainly, that was something she never wanted to experience again. One moment, they were in Russia, now they're here? A rush of air followed by two loud bursts signalled the arrival of Romano and Lithuania.

"We're here! Hurray, good job Historia!" Italy cheered, clapping her shoulder enthusiastically.

"How are you feeling?" Lithuania asked, slightly winded. Anna swayed and felt her stomach lurch.

"I think I'm going to be sick." she muttered before she quickly dropped her scythe and doubled over, the contents of her stomach being emptied upon the dry grass. Italy pulled her hair back and rubbed her shoulder blades while Romano rolled his eyes, yet offered some of his own words of comfort.

"I don't blame you sadist bitch… just don't take too long." Anna's response was to flip him off but manage a half smile, before she lurched once more. A few minutes later, mouth full of the horrid taste of bile and stomach feeling unbearingly abused, Anna stood on shaky legs.

"I'm fine now. Are we here?" she asked looking around their surroundings. A little ways away, a brick pathway and stone bridge led into a small mountain, no doubt the main entrance to the older part of the mine. It was a bit warm, so Anna shed her large coat in favor of staying in her black sweater. She kept the scarf on, it gave her comfort when she felt herself starting to tense up with nerves.

"Yes. There's a side entrance just around the other side, but it's heavily guarded…" FMB whispered in her ear.

"Splendid. Any idea on how we get in?" Romano asked sarcastically. As luck would have it, a convoy of trucks started to drive by along the dirt road, crossing the main bridge towards the entrance. The four of them quickly ducked behind a large rock to avoid being seen, Anna glancing over the top to see that the convoy stretched all the way as far as the main visitors gate a ways off. A couple men walked along side each truck, all wearing black-colored gear and dark sunglasses. It unnerved Anna to see that they looked to be wearing futuristic seeming armor, all the troops looking intimidating and inhuman. Aka, terrifying. The convoy came to a stop, no doubt being inspected at the entrance.

"Let's head towards the front and see what we're dealing with." Anna ordered, slinking out from behind a rock to enter the ravine that crossed underneath the bridge. The other three followed her nervously, staying close to her for protection in case they got caught. Though, she thought nervously to herself, she wasn't sure how'd she far against a whole damn army. Probably ten minutes at best, even if some poor soul was unlucky or stupid enough to break all of her Rules at once.

Approaching the ledge near the end of the bridge by the entrance, Anna proceeded to slowly climb up, staying as close to the cliff face as humanly possible while the others stayed behind. While she did this, she told Flying Mint Bunny to fly in and tell the others that help has come then to meet them back here. The little guy promised to do so and wished her luck. This soon proved to be more difficult when she looked down to check on the others bellow and started feeling the effects of vertigo, vision starting to swim as the familiar nausea started to set in her stomach. Of all times for her acrophobia to act up…!

"Oi, sadist bitch! What's the matter?" Romano hissed up at her. Anna had to turn her head away and shut them tightly, trying to wait for the spinning in her head to go away.

"I-I'm fine… just catching my breath…" she replied through gritted teeth.

"Well, hurry up! This was your idea!"

"I don't like heights!"

"What?!"

"It's fine, I'm going!" And with that, Anna opened her eyes and kept them fixed upwards as she continued her climb. Finally, she was able to peek just above the edge, getting a good look at the convoy trucks and their guards. At the front, two officers in black uniform inspected each truck that approached, stopping each one before letting it go through. However, Anna noticed one key detail; no one was checking the underbelly.

All of the trucks had high suspension and dust covers, in order to keep the poor road quality from interfering with the vehicle's inner workings. And, it gave her an idea.

"I think I have an idea…" she said after a moment, the others looking at her to explain. She quickly started to climb down, making sure not to look directly at the ground, though when she got about halfway, something fuzzy brushed by her hand.

She turned her head to come face to face with a giant bird eating tarantula.

"..."

The words "Deathly afraid of spiders" appeared above her head, just before Anna flailed and made a terrified sound, loosing her grip on the ledge and falling on top of the other three in a tangle of limbs and pained groans.

"What the fuck?!" Romano bit out as she scrambled to her feet to start frantically swiping away at imaginary arachnids and other creepy crawlies, trying hard to calm her racing hearts.

"Giant fucking tarantula… I. HATE. Spiders…" she bit out angrily, embarrassed over the fact.

"Mamma mia, the sadist bitch is scared of heights and spiders…" Romano muttered. Anna rolled her eyes before she pulled the three in together to explain her plan. At this time, FMB had returned, telling her that Arthur was both furious and grateful that she had come to rescue them. He couldn't find Ivan though, but Anna assured that it would be alright.

…

"This is a stupido idea…" Romano muttered for the upteenth time in the last hour. Anna likewise rolled her eyes for the upteenth time.

"Do you have a better one?" she asked sardonically.

"Ve, are you sure about this Historia?" Italy asked nervously before the two could get into an argument.

"Don't call me that here Italy, I'm still being hunted remember?" she gently reminded, "but, I'm sure. They're not checking the underside of the trucks. Just, don't get run over."

"That is not very comforting…" Lithuania said to himself.

"How do we find the others once we're inside?" Italy asked. Anna spared a glance towards FMB before responding.

"I saw in my vision, trust me." Better than having them believe that she had schizophrenia. The plan for infiltration was to wait for the one of the unguarded trucks to stop in front of where they were hiding, behind the wall of the bridge at the opposite end of the ravine from the entrance, and one of them would quickly run underneath it to grab on to the bottom the vehicle. Then, it was a matter of hanging on until they got inside. Cliche and probably taken out of one of America's movies, but, Anna thought, it may be even a little fun. As long as it get's the job done. Hey, that rhymed, oh shut up thought voice!

"Are you sure you want to go first Anna?" Lithuania asked. Anna put on her brave hero face, borrowed from America, and held her thumb up as she gripped her scythe tightly.

"Positive. Here it comes!" Indeed, one unarmed truck rolled to a stop right in front of them. Without further ado, Anna ran from behind the wall and slid underneath the truck, latching her hands and feet on to the suspension comfortably and hoisting herself up from the ground, picking up the ends of her scarf so that it didn't snag on anything. No sooner had she settled did she feel the car move forwards a tad, almost throwing her off balance from the frame but she held firm. The underside reeked of diesel and dust, nauseating her to the point of throwing up, but her stomach was already empty after using the Pathways. She had to readjust herself often in order to keep from cramping up, quickly growing impatient with how SLOW this convoy seemed to be-

"بند کرو!"

She didn't recognize the language, hell she barely understood what Kaitlyn said half of the time, but it didn't take a genius to realize that one of the guards at the front must have called for the convoy to stop. Anna held her breath, staying stock still as she heard footsteps move around the truck, muttering things in the local language that was answered by gruff non-natives speaking the same dialect. Her hands felt like they could give out at any moment while her heart rate increased tenfold as the tension became unbearable. Finally, she could hear the gas rev and the truck moved forwards, obviously given the okay from the security. She let out a heavy sigh, but kept her guard up as the truck twisted and turned, before entering a dark tunnel. There was no going back now, she could only hope that the others made it alright.

"Out of the dog house, into the lion's den... "

 **AN: I know, lots of things happened xP But! That means we're approaching the end, and final confrontation for this first installement! You ready? If you are, leave a review!**


	24. Chapter 24

Anna wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on, can't this tunnel be any shorter?! Not to mention, the constant twisting and turning coupled with the smell of gasoline was really starting to make her head swim… she could only imagine how the others were faring. Thankfully, so far things passed without a hitch, but she wasn't going to say that aloud. It was unwise to tempt the powers that be in the universe by remarking on your good luck. Come on, you know it's true. The dim lighting and echoing rumbles of the motor added to the eerie atmosphere, this was really a bad guy's lair, huh?

How like a movie, she thought ironically, seeing as her own plan could be something seen straight out of America's films. As she thought this, her vision was suddenly assaulted by bright lights as the truck pulled into a large cavern and stopped, the engine cutting off as the sounds of footsteps and loud conversations filled the space. Judging by the echo of the sound, this cavern must be the size of an airplane hanger or something! Just how big was this mine? A lot of the troops spoke in various languages, both men and women she realized, though she was able to pick up on the few sentences spoken in english;

"...the whole G8 huh…?"

"I want to see America die first…!"

"...upstart bushy brows, what a…"

"...good riddance, the commie…" Anna bristled at the mention of Ivan, keeping her mouth shut in order to keep her position hidden despite how angry she was. Fear crept into her heart at the implications as she remembered what FMB had told her earlier. I hope Ivan is alright, she prayed. Don't worry, I'm coming.

Finally, the sounds and conversations died down, leaving Anna in silence before a loud metallic slamming of a door caused her to jump and fall from her perch as it echoed throughout the space. She didn't dare to move for a few moments, just in case someone was still around.

"Hello? Anna? You can come out now!" FMB's voice called out. Anna let out a sigh of relief as she rolled out from underneath the truck and stood up slowly, rolling out the kinks and cramps from her limbs as she did. FMB fluttered over towards her, hovering by her head.

"Hey FMB, did the others make it alright?" she asked looking around

"Ve? Anna? Are you there?" she head Italy's voice call out faintly, fear lacing his tone. The trucks all towered over her small frame, so she had to jump a few times in order to see over the top.

"I'm!"

Jump.

"Over!"

Another jump.

"Here!" she called out. She saw the tiny bob of a hair curl from the other side of the hanger head over to where she was. Deciding to meet him halfway, Anna adjusted her scarf and started to weave along the rows of trucks with her scythe in hand, only to run full force into a hard body and end up sprawling on the floor, her scythe clattering to the ground. God, I hope no one heard that!

"Fuck!"

"Crap!"

Two voices yelled out simultaneously, the latter being Anna. Sitting, she was relieved to see it was only Romano who had also been knocked to the floor.

"Sorry, are you okay?" Anna asked rushing to help him up. He didn't refuse her help but brushed himself off in annoyance.

"Si, just watch where you're going next time?" he said in annoyance. Italy at this point ran up to trap the two of them in tight hug.

"Ve! I'm so happy to see you!~" he cried, tears of worry pouring from his eyes. Romano and Anna pushed him off with great difficulty, Romano angrily trying to calm him down while Anna looked around for Lithuania.

"Toris? Where are you?!" she called out as she picked her scythe up from the floor.

"I'm right here…" Anna squealed and jumped at the quiet voice right behind her, what was it with slavic countries and moving quietly?! She would certainly die of a heart attack at this rate.

"Jesus, don't do that! Are you alright?" Lithuania nodded.

"Yeah, but now what do we do?" he asked. Anna cast glance towards FMB, signalling to start leading to where the others were captured. FMB nodded and starting flying away, Anna trailing behind him.

"Follow me, and keep an eye out. If you see anyone, hide. Don't get separated." she ordered, the others falling into place behind her. FMB led them to the edge of the hanger type room, where a large air vent was located near the floor. Anna smirked as FMB explained that it was safer to use this, oh, she couldn't agree more.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Romano complained quietly. Anna merely chuckled and started to pull at the grate.

"It's better than walking around exposed and more likely to be caught, plus we can all Tom Cruise this bitch! Now help me get this off!"

"You watch too many films idiota ragazza." Anna only laughed and sent Romano a cheeky wink.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." With all four's combined efforts, the grate came off without hassle, set gently to the side while the four looking into the darkness ahead. Italy clung to Romano shivering, who wasn't much better but was less obvious. Lithuania looked unsure as well even as Anna started crawling into the space.

"T-T-That looks really d-d-d-dark and scary…." Italy chattered. Anna offered a sympathetic smile and held out her hand.

"Just stick close to me, okay? It will be fine, I've done this plenty of times!" she encouraged. Italy nodded as he took her hand, following her into the vent.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you have some serious problems…" Lithuania remarked. Anna chuckled oddly as the four entered the vent, Anna leading followed by Italy and Romano before Lithuania entered.

"No worries, I know full well I do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here. Now, onwards!"

No wonder she is Mr. Russia's girlfriend, Lithuania thought nervously, trembling slightly. At least she's kind and forgiving, he reasoned. And less likely to murder me in my sleep!

*10 min vent crawling montage, accompanied by James Bond themes*

"Anyone else think we're about to get shot at any second now?" Anna asked as the montage ended. Everyone at this point was tired and sweating from being in such a cramped place, despite the chill of being underground that ran through the air.

"Please don't say that…" Lithuania begged.

"Well, usually there's a lot of shooting involved with anything Bond…especially in the opening sequence." she commented off-handedly.

"Are we there yet sadist bitch?" Romano complained loudly only to be shushed by Anna.

"Pipe down! These vents are not exactly soundproof!"

"We're almost there, just this next right!" FMB said, Anna repeating it to the others. As they made the turn, they came face to face with a large grate, dim lighting pouring through. Anna put a hand up to stop the others behind her as she heard strange voices and noises coming from the other side of the vent. Crawling slowly forwards, Anna held her breath as she took in the scene below her.

In what she realized may have been the main mine shaft at one time, the cavern resembled the main chamber of an ant hill, with various tunnels and levels going every which way. A steep drop off on one side probably led to the deeper part of the mine, a precarious looking elevator the only thing near by. What horrified her was the archaic yet advanced technology that was spread across the space, a large globe filled with a dimly glowing green serum sat in the center as other strange devices lined the walls; dials, plasma domes, electro-prods, and the like. A table covered in various chemicals and notes sat near the large globe, along with rows of shelves cluttered with strange looking equipment. Men in white lab coats and various soldiers scattered around the room, it reminded her of Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory mixed with the Black Archive from Doctor Who.

Aka a walking pile of weirdness and cliches.

"Arthur and the others are over there." FMB pointed, Anna craning her neck to see a large cage suspended from the air by a long chain. Indeed, everyone was in there, including Ukraine and Belarus, were huddled together in the cage, looking beaten and fearful. However, they were eyeing their captors who patrolled the space with defiance, Germany's icy stare unnerving anyone who dared to make eye contact while Belarus growled at anyone who got to close. Ukraine had fresh tears in her eyes while she was comforted by her little sister. America sat to one side and he didn't look too good, did they do something to him? England was near him and had a venomous look in his eye whenever any of the soldiers walked by, and frankly that unnerved Anna greatly... However…

"Where's Spain? And Russia?" she asked nervously. FMB only shrugged, Anna letting out a nervous sigh. They could be anywhere, and how were they going to free the others?

"What's wrong Anna? What are we going to do?" Lithuania asked. Anna crawled back from the vent grate and ran her fingers through her hair, her cap falling off slightly as she racked her brain for ideas.

"Give me a minute, I'm thinking." she said, biting her lip nervously.

"Are Germany and Japan okay? What about Big Brother Spain?" Italy asked. Romano glanced up at the mention of Spain, causing Anna's stomach to clench in guilt.

"Germany and Japan are fine, as well as most of the others… But, I don't know where Spain is," she said regretfully, looking apologetically at Romano who only scowled and looked away, "or Russia, for that matter." At that moment, a door from below opened and pair of loud footsteps.

"Dr. Schneider! Where are you?" an angry male voice sounded all throughout the cavern. Anna crawled back to the grate in order to see a middle aged man with salt and pepper pair march across the cavern. Two guards flanked his sides, obviously this guy was important. His accent sounded… Eastern Ukrainian! The Mystery guy from the video message? Anna thought. A small, twig of a doctor with a lab coat that hung off his tiny shoulders hunched down and scuttled towards the man.

"Here, herr Rasamupmsky. Vhat do you need?" the doctor, Schneider, asked in a thin voice as he wrung his bony hands together. With slicked back grey hair and round spectacles, he looked like any mad scientist one would find in the 1930s horror flicks. He looked ancient as well and sounded like he could be from East Germany, Anna pondered, perhaps a former Third Reich scientist?

"How is our subjects?" the man called Rasamupmsky demanded.

"The first subject has been screaming his lungs off for veeks, but now vith this new formula, he's as docile as a puppy." Schneider responded. Anna heard Romano take a sharp intake of breath next to her, it was clear they were talking about poor Spain. She gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze as the conversation continued.

"And where is he now?"

"Still in his cell in the upper level."

"And, our second subject?" Rasamuphmsky asked with a sneer. Schneider merely shrugged.

"The serum reacted quickly, he stopped screaming within seconds, and even show signs of being susceptible to psychotic suggestion. He's sitting quietly in the lower cell."

"So, the psychotic commie is brainwashed…" Rasamuphmsky summarized with a satisfied smirk. Anna clenched her hand on the grate until she was shaking with rage, oh, she'd love to introduce him to her scythe so they'd wipe his smirk of his face. NO ONE, talked about her Ivan that way. Schneider appeared to roll his eyes.

"Essentially, ja. But, even with our brilliant expert and leader vorking so hard, the first stage of the serum vill not be complete vithout our final ingredient. Vhich, herr Rasamuphmsky, you are supposed to retrieve." Schneider reminded, causing Rasamuphmksy to scowl.

"I sent Sinclair, my best man, to catch her in Italy. And, she jumps off the damn plane! Dechaump and the LeClaires? She beat them with a sick! A stick! And, Russia bludgeons one to death when she gets a scratch. This, so-called 'Historia,' is a pain in my ass!" Rasamupmsky's outburst caused Anna to smirk to herself.

"Well, I do try." she said smugly.

"Either vay, ve cannot produce more results for the Alchemist vithout her blood to complete the formula. I suggest that you get to vork on retrieving her for us, ja?" Schneider chided. Who was this 'Alchemist' they were talking about? Anna looked at the three behind her, but they looked as confused as she was. Rasamuphmsky snarled and got into Schneider's face.

"If you weren't so brilliant as the Alchemist thinks you are, I'd squash you like the little worm you are." he threatened in a low voice. Schneider didn't seem all that bothered by the man's brief play of dominance.

"Vhy don't you get back to chasing little girls, ja?" he shooed. Rasamuphmsky growled dangerously before he turned on his heel and motioned for his posse to follow.

"That bitch was supposed to appear here, along with the others."

"The Alchemist can only do so much, it is up to us to finish the job." with that, Rasamuphmsky stormed out of the cavern while Schneider resumed his work, a smug grin on his face. All of the sudden, the lights started to flicker, causing a serious of curses to erupt from the various scientists.

"And they have us vorking in this hell hole… sometimes I even I vonder vhat they're thinking." Schneider muttered. So the electricity was faulty? This gave Anna an idea.

"Hey, FMB, can you do something for me?" she whispered. FMB looked at her curiously. Silently, she told him instructions on what she was planning while he gave her the locations of Spain and Russia's respective cells. Although, to the others, she was talking to herself and it was starting to worry them.

"Oi, sadist, what now?" Romano asked. Anna crawled back from the vent and motioned everyone around her.

"Now, we're going to be heroes. Here's what we're going to do…"

And with that, Anna told them of her new plan.

 **A/N: More of the villains introduced, the leader mentioned, the lair explained, and the fates of the characters in the balance! Ah, glorious tension... the end is in sight my lovelies!**


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Hello! New chapter! Get ready for a longer-ish chapter and a bit of a mind fuck of emotions. Also, Pirate Iggy. 'Nuff said ;) Onwards!**

"This is absolutely crazy, even for you sadist bitch!" Romano complained for the upteenth time in the last ten minutes.

"I sure hope so, otherwise it will probably never work." Anna responded with a half grin in an attempt to stay positive. At the moment, it was her and Romano crawling along the vents while Lithuania and Italy crawled in the opposite direction towards where the others were located. The Italian brothers protested over being separated until Anna explained her reasoning.

FLASHBACK TO TEN MINUTES AGO

"Listen, Spain has probably been subjected to a lot of psychological torture and whatever is in that serum is more than likely making it worse. We need to sort him out first or else, I don't even want to think about it. Lovino, I need you with me for when he wakes up, he'll need you most of all. Understand?" Anna said, pleading with everyone to trust her judgement. Romano nodded his head once in agreement, a blush creeping it's way across his face.

"What are Italy and I supposed to do?" Lithuania asked.

"You guys are going to get to the others and try to get them out. Surely one of these guys must have keys or something somewhere." Anna responded.

"And you're sure that the power will go off at the time you said?"

"Absolutely." she replied confidently.

"Ve, you're so sure Anna, I wish I was as brave…" Italy remarked, earning a humorless laugh from the girl.

"Oh believe me, I am far from brave right now. Look…" she replied grimly, holding up her shaking hand, "I am terrified. I don't know what's happened to Ivan, I have no idea how we're going to get anyone out of here and I am scared that this will fail and that we could all die… but, I'm crazy enough to give this shot. And, I really need you guys with me on this."

"Not really an uplifting speech Anna." Romano said dryly. Anna smiled.

"Got you to say my real name though," she teased giving him a playful nudge, causing him to catch his slip and scowl, "besides, I'm nothing if not honest. Shall we?" Anna placed her hand in the middle, obviously trying to go for a US style team break. Instead, all she got were three awkwardly blinking stares. She sweat dropped.

So much for team spirit…

BACK TO PRESENT

"How much longer?" Romano asked.

"After this left, it should be on the right." Anna replied, going over Flying Mint Bunny's instructions in her head. The little guy had gone off to relay the outlines of their plan to Arthur before going to enlist the help of the local mountain spirits in order to sabotage the main electrical grid when the time was right.

The "plan," basically involved getting to and healing Spain so that he and Romano could get out of here and get help help. After Italy and Lithuania figured how to get the others free, Anna would make her way to Russia's cell and free him, and that was when she'd give the signal (her whistling the British National Anthem, which is the tune that "My Country tis of Thee" stole for you Americans) for FMB to shut off the lights. In the confusion, everyone would get back in the vent and crawl their way to freedom.

That is, if they even make it that far.

It was a horrible plan.

It probably didn't count as a plan.

It wasn't even worthy enough to be a "pla."

But, it was crazy enough to hopefully, work.

Anna's musing was interrupted when a strange sound reached her ears. It sounded like a pained groan…

"We're here." she announced quietly as they approached a smaller vent grate, where a bright light streamed through the slits. Gazing down, they saw Spain on top of a flat metal table, curled in on himself slightly. His clothes were the same as when she saw him that fateful day, only torn, dirtied and covered in blood. A few clotted wounds peppered his body, but he appeared to be clutching at his left shoulder the most. What was worse was how pale and thin he looked, and he shivered constantly despite the tell-tale sweat of a fever that covered his body in a sickly sheen. Romano stiffened at the sight of his lover looking so beaten, Anna scowled angrily at the monsters who did this to such a kind-hearted, oblivious soul, and the two of them kicked out the grate with no trouble or regards to noise.

"You stupido bastardo…" Romano bit out, jumping out of the vent first to rush to the side of his love. Anna followed close behind and together they gently coaxed Spain on to his back. Seeing him flinch away at any form of contact broke her heart, and Romano's expression held similar thoughts. How long was he left in pain like this?

"Hey there Spain, can you hear us?" Anna asked softly. Spain made no sign of movement or acknowledgement, she couldn't use her ability without his consent… could she? Gah! This is no good…!

"Oi, idiota! Wake up!" Romano ordered loudly, tears gathering in his eyes. Anna wanted to reprimand him save for the fact that Spain stirred and let out a small sound. It sounded like..

"R-rovi….?"

It was faint, but they heard just fine.

"I told you, don't call me that!" Romano said, a small smile tugged the end of his lips slightly as Spain roused into the waking world.

"Y-you're here…" he whispered in disbelief, trying to raise his hand to stroke Romano's face but wincing in pain each time he moved. Anna cringed at the glossy, dark look that clouded Spain's normally bright eyes.

"Where does it hurt? I'm here to help." Anna said, feeling the skin of his forehead with the back of her hand. He was burning up!

"H-help? Cabecita caliente...?" Spain asked feebly. Anna looked at Romano in confusion.

"What did he say?" she asked. Romano sighed and shook his head.

"He called you "little hot-head…"" he replied. Anna's eyebrow twitched. Again with the "little…!"

"He's SOOO lucky he's already in a world of hurt…" she grumbled, but apologized when Romano sent her a positively murderous look.

"Help him already!" he barked.

"I don't know where he's hurting the most, and I can't heal what could amount to over ten centuries of history at once, that would kill me!" she argued. She didn't even want to think of the amount of pain that would cause her if she tried.

"M-Mi hombro…" Spain groaned, the pair's shouting pounding in his ears. Romano translated it as;

"Your shoulder?" Anna asked, holding her hand over where Spain was clutching. He nodded feebly.

"Well, let's get on with it!" Romano urged, coaxing Spain in spanish to relax his hold and allow Anna to remove the shirt over the injured area. She hissed a sharp breath when she got a look at the aged, mottled, abused flesh underneath. His shoulder looked like a long time ago, someone tried to cut off his arm with a barbed wire! Oh, this was going to HURT…

"Lovino, when did he get this injury?" she asked as she mentally prepared herself for the amount of pain she was most likely going to experience. Romano cringed slightly, eyes growing haunted at the memory of the day Spain walked through that door… dripping wet, his arm practically hanging from a few tendrils…

"1756…" he replied horsely.

"And, who did it to him?" at this Romano scoffed angrily.

"Ask your bushy-browed friend, idiota!" he spat. England?! Of course, she should have guessed… needless to say, she never was enthusiastic to meet the Imperial Pirate during his hay-day…

"I see. Antonio, can you hear me?" Anna asked, holding her hands over the dreaded scar. Spain looked over to her and nodded slightly.

"I'm going to take the pain away, alright? This will be confusing and probably take a while, but Lovi is right here with you, and I will do the best that I can. Will you let me?" Spain looked over at Romano, trying his best to smile for his little tomato, before looking back at Anna and nodding once. Anna took a deep breath.

"Lovino, I need you to be on the lookout just in case someone comes by. Also, when I get done… I'm probably going to end up screaming my lung out. So, make sure that I don't, otherwise someone might hear us." she ordered.

"You don't have to tell me twice, stupida ragazza." he replied.

"No matter what happens, I cannot be interrupted. I don't even want to the implications that would mean to either of us, capiche?"

"Si, si! Andare avanti!"

With that, Anna took another deep breath before placing her hands on Spain's scar. Romano watched in awe as the ember-red aura from before manifested around her, her eyes fading from crystal blue to Spain's olive green. Down the rabbit hole once more...

…

This time, Anna found herself in what looked to be the inside of a boat at sea. The rocking and swaying of the vessel disoriented her at first, but after steadying herself on the expensive looking mahogany desk, Anna quickly managed to find some sort of stable footing. Looking around, Anna was astounded by the lavish nature of the cabin. A smile pile of new Spanish doubloons rested next to a scale and some parchment, though when she tried to touch it the phased through her hand as if she were made of air. Right, a visitor and spectator, a ghost, not actually there, she reminded herself. This must be the captain's quarters, she reasoned. The question was, which captain?

Suddenly, a loud chorus of shouts resounded from outside. Sunlight streamed through the large windows and the sound of seagulls squawking could be heard over the ruckus, but Anna was focused on the crowd of dirty pirates congregated on the main deck. Anna made her way towards the door with a surprisingly ornate and, finding it locked, phased through the wood.

"Well, that's unnerving…" Anna shivered. Of course, that was nothing compared to what lay before her.

The entire crew was comprised of the most horrifying, haggard, ruthless pirates she had ever seen. There were many from countless nationalities, even a couple from the far east, but all of them had the same, dead, blood thirsty eyes. The smell of smoke and blood perfumed the air, along with the tell-tale smell of the sea, and it nearly caused to to pass out. Glancing over the port side, which is the left, she saw the charred, burning remains of a rival ship slowly descending into the murky depths below. The presence of numerous dorsal fins told her the ill fate of the crew of the dying vessel.

Shivering in disgust and fear, Anna phased through the crowd to arrive at the front. She was going to need a long, LONG shower when all of this was over. Eventually, she broke through the line of pirates to stand at the front. The sight she saw had her wishing she had just stayed in the cabin.

There, sitting on top of a pile of barrels, was Arthur. But not the Arthur she had come to know and regard as a brother figure. The look in his green eyes was positively terrifying, a crazed mixture of arrogance, mischief, and blood lust. He was dressed in a long red British style military coat, trimmed with black and gold brocade and golden buttons. A puffy white shirt and red cravat was exposed, along with a gold medallion embodied with a large emerald hung from his neck. His hair longer and more dishevelled than normal, and on top sat a large black pirate's hat complete with an ornate feather. He even wore… an eyepatch? For what reason?

And the cherry on top to add to his vicious pirate persona: he was covered, head to toe, in splashes of blood.

Oh, brilliant. JUST bloody brilliant! At least he couldn't see-

"You! Wench!"

Oh, for FUCK'S SAKE!

Anna froze as she locked gazes with the captain, shivering as he raised his still bloody cutlass towards her face as he stalked over to her from his perch. Even the way he carried himself was darker, more confident than she knew! Oh come on, her luck wasn't that bad! He couldn't possibly see her! Could he?

"A-Are you t-talking to me?" she stuttered quietly, pointing towards herself. Captain Kirkland snarled as he stopped right in front of her, grabbing her roughly by the hair and pointing his cutlass at her exposed throat. That would be a 'yes,' she mentally gulped.

"What the bloody hell are you doing on my ship?" he asked in a dangerously low voice. Quick, think Anna! Lie? Or tell him the truth? *welp!* that sword looks sharp… okay, this is Arthur, surely he's used to crazy stories and far-fetched ideas… okay, the truth it is!

"Well, technically I'm not, see, I'm sort of… passing through, as it were. You don't know me yet, but in a couple centuries from now, you will." she explained, trying to be as vague as possible. Doctor Who theory of time travel, never reveal too much about the future!

"Liars aren't tolerated on my ship, poppet. Speak up or I'll slit your throat." he threatened, the edge of his sword pressing harder against her skin.

"I highly recommend that you don't!" she protested with a feeble smile, eying the sword edge warily.

"And why, pray tell, would that be poppet?" he hissed, eyes narrowing into dangerous points. Anna gulped, his intimidating presence starting to overwhelm her nerves. However, she wasn't half British for nothing if not for her inherent stubbornness and a knack for concealing inner thoughts!

"Please don't call me that. And, the reason why I'm here is because-"

"Cap'n! Where do ye want 'im?" a loud voice called from the back of the still celebrating crowd. Did they notice their captain talking to air? Unless they were used to it by now…It IS Arthur we're talking about.

"Bring him forth!" Captain Kirkland ordered before turning his attention back to Anna. "I will deal with you later, wench. Don't even think about escaping." And with that he dragged her roughly by the hair to stand next to the edge of the ship before taking out a concealed dagger and plunging it into the wood near her waist. Anna cried out as she felt the sting of metal against skin on her side, and to her dismay when she tried to pull away, found herself firmly pinned to the ship by the fabric of her sweater.

"You- YOU BLOODY PIRATE!" Anna shouted angrily, only to shrink back when Captain Kirkland fixed a deadly glare on to her.

"Privateer, pray you don't make that mistake again." he growled just as two of his cronies dragged a body across the deck and laid it at his feet. Oh believe me, Anna thought to herself, there is no mistake as far as history is concerned. Especially since I AM History! However, her anger quickly dissipated into horror as she recognized the poor soul brought before the captain. It was Spain! A foul sneer crept across Arthur's face as he regarding the struggling man. She had to give Spain credit, he was a fighter when it counted the most.

"My dear Carriedo, you never learn do ye?" Captain Kirkland chided. Despite his position, Spain smirked up at him. Anna noticed that his eyes were only just less venomous and cruel than Kirkland's, and that his hair was pulled into a low ponytail at the base of his neck.

"Ah but mi amigo, who else can keep you on your toes in this day and age? We're both getting a little _tired_ of this old song and dance." Spain remarked. Kirkland's smirk melted into a frown.

"Yet it is your armada that burns and your men that go to ol' Davy Jones."

"And that makes you better than me? You're nothing but a tyrant, _Britannia,_ " Spain spat, "even your precious New World colony sees-" Spain's jab was halted by a swift kick to the gut from Britain.

"You call yourself a _conquistador_ yet it is I who conquered the seas!" Britain shouted. Heaving for breath, Spain laughed humorlessly.

"You're getting soft…" Britain answered this with a right hook to his face, the sickening impact making Anna's stomach churn. Spain spat out blood as Britain started making a grandeur speech to the rest of his crew, however his words became muffled and died out as the air started to grow thick and the familiar green mist started to manifest. Oh, so Arthur could see her but not this? That's just wrong, she thought as she tried to remove the dagger that was currently trapping her. It wouldn't budge! Just how strong was he back in the day?

"You are weak… disgusting, twisted… you will fall… your empire is finished… you will die alone…" the mysterious voices whispered and chorused. Anna watched as Spain's face lost its air of false confidence. Anna spared a quick glance to captain Kirkland before she took a deep breath. Time to step in!

"Oi, Spain! You can't give up here! Not when you have someone waiting for you back home!" she yelled, pulling with all her might against the dagger. Spain looked up at her with curious eyes, no doubt wondering where the hell she appeared from. She kept on pulling when the sound of fabric ripping reached her ears, but she didn't mind ruining her favorite sweater if it meant doing her job.

"Listen to me! Regimes fall every day, nothing is forever. Not even his precious empire," she motioned over to Britain, "will not last forever! Rome in all of his glory had to fall, but none of you shall not disappear like he did! You will survive, and all of you will come to understand that all of this fighting and conquering is pointless! It's time for you to let go of the past Antonio, and go home to Lovino!" Spain's dull eyes brightened as she mentioned his Lovi.

"Mi tomate…" he muttered. Anna smiled reassuringly.

"He worries so much for you, let's not keep him waiting!" she affirmed. A small smile graced his lips as he nodded once in agreement. The sound of her sweater ripping filled her ears as some mysterious force yanked her from the ship's edge and she should found herself seeing things through Spain's eyes. Arthur must have heard the fabric ripping as he was looking around frantically to see where she had gone. He looked like a dog who had lost his toy, she thought smugly.

"Where is she?! Where has she gone off to?" Kirkland demanded angrily, the only response he was getting being a bunch of confused stares from his crew. Spain started laughing.

"Are you still seeing things mi amigo loco? Was it a flying rabbit again, or perhaps a little mermaid?" he taunted. Britain growled at the spaniard and swiftly kicked him to the floor, pinning him to the ground with his boot.

"I'd watch your tongue before I cut it out." Britain threatened. Spain's response was to merely scoff.

"Soft and senile old man, your empire will fall not long after mine does mi amigo."

"I don't think so, Carriedo, not while I'm still breathing."

"It is your fate, such is to all tyrants." Arthur growled at Spain's insolence and within a flash Anna felt an all consuming pain originating from her left shoulder. She screamed in agony from within Spain's mind, no doubt feeling what Spain must be, but Spain managed to keep laughing despite the fact that _Britain had stabbed him/her with his cutlass and was currently pinning them to the deck_. Crazy, every single one of them!

"The day I do fall, is the day you've been dead in the grave for centuries!" Arthur spat out, adding to the torture by slowly twisting and digging his blade deeper into the wound. Anna felt tears stream down her face as Spain started to cry out, but she saw an opportunity when Spain's mind blanked out from the pain.

"Sooner than you think…" she bit out through the pain, surprised when her words escaped through Spain's mouth. Well, that's a nifty trick! Britain finally removed the blade and to her horror and disgust, started to lick Spain's blood from the edge, his arrogant smirk returning to his face.

"And what has you so convinced?" Anna, despite feeling that Spain was beginning to lose consciousness due to blood loss, managed to bite out one final sentence.

"History repeats herself as long as there are people who continue to make the same mistakes. And I know… for I am History." Anna, through Spain, winked as she said this before she allowed Spain to fall into darkness, leaving a confounded and angry Britain behind.

…

Lovino didn't know how much longer he handle this. He had watched when Anna's sweater suddenly ripped at her side and a thin stream of blood had started to trickle down. He felt woozy at the sight of it, but stayed strong as Spain slowly became more peaceful and relaxed in his hold. Her currently had Spain's head resting upon his lap, absentmindedly stroking his brown wavy locks as he muttered a few prayers for his safe revival…

"Son of a Bitch!" Lovino looked up to see Anna had returned to normal, tears streaming down her face as she grabbed her left shoulder, collapsing to the ground in pain as she tried so hard not to cry out. Lovino wanted to rush to help her but he felt Spain return to consciousness.

"Lovi? What happened?" Spain asked as Lovino helped him to sit up.

"Toni, are you okay? How do you feel?" Lovino asked, genuine worry present in his face. Spain looked over at him smiled, pulling him into a tight embrace while Lovino blushed bright red.

"Better, now that you're here mi corazon…" Spain muttered into Lovino's hair.

"Don't mind me, just writhing in agony here…" Anna spat out sarcastically, pulling herself to sit against the leg of the table. The two lovebirds quickly jumped apart and hurried to the side of their friend.

"Lo siento mi amiga. How are you feeling?" Spain asked, glancing worriedly at her shoulder. Anna managed to put on a smile.

"I'm probably going to have nightmares of Pirate Britain for years, otherwise I'm okay. Pain is already going away." she replied. Spain chuckled at her response.

"Si, he still gives me nightmares as well. But, I don't hold it against him, we were both different men back then." he said remorsefully. Anna nodded in agreement.

"I could tell, you were both bat-shit insane. You two can't dilly-dally for long, Lovino's going to lead you back to the surface."

"But senorita…!" Spain started to protest but Anna held up her hand.

"You've been through a lot already Spain, you need to get out. If you want, send some backup to pick us up when we get out, okay?" Anna ordered.

"Please, call me Antonio. You've earned it after everything you've done for us." Antonio insisted.

"Thank you. Now go!" she urged.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright ragazza?" Lovino asked as he led Antonio, who had a slight limp she noticed, over towards the open vent. Anna sent them a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, just give me a moment. Need a mental breather." she replied. Lovino nodded before he hopped into the air vent.

"Gracias Anna. And good luck." Antonio said before following Lovino. Anna listened as the pair went away, Lovino whispering something angrily to Antonio who was only trying to say sweet endearments to his boyfriend. Now, that was something she was used to.

To be honest, she was feeling incredibly shaken from that whole ordeal. Not only did she encounter a horrible, terrifying persona of someone she trusted, but he had actually HURT her! She winced when she looked down at her torn sweater, the cut she had received already clotting. Thankfully, it wasn't that deep. Whatever Hive put in that serum certainly made the whole experience more lifelike, she could only dread what Ivan was going through at this moment. Oh god, Ivan! How was she going to cope healing him if she's still reeling from healing Spain? For someone who is supposed to represent History, she really didn't understand what experiencing it was actually like, she realized. It scared her that she was still so… human.

Hang on, if Pirate Arthur had seen her back in the mid 1700s, did that mean that he knew all along who and what she was the moment he saw her? He certainly didn't act like it, though, he was the biggest tsundere apart from Romano… unless, he only now knows just because she went back into Spain's memory? Though, it didn't seem like it was a memory...

Or, was she in a sense travelling through time if certain people could see her?

"GAH! Stupid wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff!" Anna exclaimed in annoyance throwing her hands in the air. This was only adding to her already growing headache.

But, she didn't have time to dwell on that sort of thing. Besides, she reasoned as she got herself off the floor and straightened her glasses, all of these details could be ironed out later. She already knew that she didn't hate nor blame Arthur for what just happened, I mean, how could I? She thought with a small shrug. It was as Spain said, England was a different being back in those days, as well as many other countries at that time. Although, that did not mean that she and Arthur were not going to have some words once this was over. Grabbing her scythe, Anna leapt back into the vents and started crawling once again.

"Don't worry Ivan, I'm coming for you…"

 **AN: First off, don't kill me Pirate England lovers! But let's be real, he was a** ** _pirate,_** **and pirates were just not nice :P Pirates were very superstitious, and they believed that a woman on board would bring bad luck. Anna was lucky that she wasn't killed on sight, because he probably would have had he the chance. Don't worry though, he'll redeem himself in the next story ;) Story's getting more intense from here on out, stay tuned and keep on with those reviews!**


	26. Chapter 26

Anna was starting to get really tired of air vents. She was cold, tired, still aching from her ordeal with Spain, and on top of it, being alone destroyed what was left of her nerves. It was too… quiet, even with the slight echo of her every movement reverberating throughout the vent. The only thing keeping her going was the hope of finding Ivan. With him by her side again, everything would be alright.

"I should have gone with everyone when I had the chance…" she said to herself. Maybe then they wouldn't…

No. Then she'd be captured too, and then Hive would be one step closer to completing their goals. That, she cannot allow.

Finally, after what felt like hours of climbing and a sheer drop later, Anna approached the vent grate that led to Ivan's cell. Quickening her pace, Anna felt the grace of a smile cross her face as she gazed down into the room.

However, to her horror, it was empty.

"Ivan…?" she asked quietly, wondering if he was resting somewhere out of her sight. However, the entire room was silent as the grave. Carefully, Anna removed the grate and as she lowered down to the floor, she saw that this cell was recently emptied.

Where could he have gone?

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw movement from the far end of the hall. Creeping towards the glass cell door quietly, she saw that someone had smashed the lock from the inside. Maybe Ivan had escaped! To her delight, the door swung open easily, and when she leaned out to see who was in the hallway, her heart soared when she saw the end of a pale pink scarf vanish just around the corner.

"Ivan!" she called out quietly, breaking out into a swift run down the hall. A series of glass cells similar to Ivan's were on either side, the hallway lit only by dim blue lights that hung overhead. Her footsteps echoed through the halls despite her attempts to keep quiet. Why didn't Ivan respond when she called? Maybe she just needed to get closer. Rounding the corner, Anna felt tears of joy come to her eyes when Ivan's form came into view. He wasn't in pain, thank goodness!

"Vanya, I was so worried! I'm so glad that you-" Anna exclaimed in happiness only to stop dead in her tracks. Ivan didn't move at the sound of her voice, a sinister aura surrounding his form like a cloak. The lighting overhead cast hard shadows over his face, his once childlike features cold and ominous. Immediately, Anna's instincts were telling her to run, run away and not look back until she was safe. When Ivan did move, he slowly turned around to face her.

With piercing, icy blue eyes.

"Dear god…" it was her nightmare coming true. When her gaze fell to the silver sink pipe in his hand, she knew that she was in trouble as she started backing away slowly.

"Ivan, it's me. You recognize me don't you?" she asked putting on a weak smile, trying hard not to show that she was shivering. He made no response, his face frozen like ice as he regarded her with empty eyes. Anna was starting to panic and rush her words together in desperation.

"I don't know what they've done to you, but I can help you. Come on Vanya, it's me! Say something!" Ivan still made no sign of recognition, his approach slow and mechanical like clockwerk. This was not good-

"YOU!"

Anna turned around sharply to see Rasamuphmsky at the other end of the hall, glaring angrily at her as soldiers ran towards her. She was trapped! Unless…

"Forgive me Ivan." she whispered before she quickly charged at Ivan, hitting him to the side with the blunt end of her scythe, slipping past just as she heard the pipe whistle through the air and smash the stone floor where she had just stood with a loud clang. He had tried to kill her. He tried to KILL her! Anna ran as fast as her legs would take her, turning down every corner and hallway, not even caring where she ended up as long as she got away. A loud alarm rang throughout the entire complex, a red light flashing in tandem as a voice shouted orders in various languages.

Shit, got to hide! Vents? Never again! Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap…!

"HALT!"

Anna came face to face with a group of soldiers, guns trained at her. A quick count, ten against one. That's…. not particularly favorable.

"Well, this is quite the welcoming party." she remarked dryly as her eyes scanned the room for an escape.

"Shut up, drop the weapon! Hands where I can see them!" the man shouting sounded east Londoner. Anna glanced around and noticed a stack of hanging crates supported by a rope pulley system. Right next to it, a catwalk. Crate ex machina!

"I must go, my people need me!" Anna declared before grabbing the end of the rop and slicing the counterweight, the fall of the crates pulling her up to the catwalk as they smashed into the crowd of soldiers. In the confusion, Anna ran along the catwalk, knocking any personnel or soldier who stood in her way over the edge of the rail. Like hell she was going to get captured-!

BZZZH-ZHOOOM!

Anna recognized that sound, milliseconds before she just barely jumped out of the way of a ray of green light. Shit shit shit shit! This was not a good day! Turning a sharp corner that led into a warehouse of sorts, Anna spotted a large circular vent on the other side of the room. None of the soldiers had been able to follow her in yet, if she could reach it in time-!

"Someone get the damn keys!" the Londoner dude yelled. The other side of the door was lined with metal as to not get kicked down, she had no time to spare! Dashing toward the vent, footsteps echoing on the metal walkway, Anna quickly reached for the small door in the grate and wrenched it open, all but throwing herself into the vent. Quickly, she shut the door behind and sunk below the ridge, just out of sight just as the door was thrown open.

"Gah, she's already in the next room! Find her! Before she can get to the prisoners!" Londoner Joe (as she decided to call him) barked. A series of marching footsteps and loud voices filled the room, Anna not even daring to breathe as she willed her racing heartbeat to slow down less it give away her position. Her body shook with the rush of adrenaline and shock, mind racing over what to do next. When everyone left, what then?

Stick to the plan, get everyone out, then go back for Ivan.

Oh god. Ivan had tried to kill her just now!

What the hell happened to him? What nightmare could he be living? Or rather, re-living? She didn't even want to think about it, she thought with a shiver. A sickening pit fell in her stomach as the gravity of her current situation sank in her mind.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, the room got quiet, the only sound being the still blaring alarm raging through her ears. God, that was annoying, she thought bitterly.

"You two, stay in here. Just in case she comes back." Londoner Joe ordered quietly. Christ almighty, back to vent crawl-

"Dude, do you think Anna is okay?"

"Of course she is, she's a brilliant girl!"

"These persistent bastards. Once I get my hands on them-!" She knew those voices anywhere!

That was America, and Britain, and Germany! Looking to her left, Anna saw that the opposite end of the grate led back into the main chamber. She managed to come full circle! Crawling forwards, she looked down to see that she was just above and to the side of the hanging cage, which now included a trembling Italy and Lithuania. Was she surprised? Not at all.

"Ouch, dude you're totally on my foot!" America complained loudly.

"Get your foot off mein hand!" Germany shot back.

"Ve, Germany…? I have to go the bathroom."

"Vell you're just going to have to hold it Italy!"

"Of all the idiots I had to be stuck in a cage with…" England sighed to himself. Anna took that moment to leap down from the vent.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked with a smile. Everyone jumped at her sudden appearance and visibly relaxed.

"Anna, dude! Nice entrance!"

"Hey guys, I'm not dead!"

"Thank goodness you're alright, now what the bloody hell are you doing here?" England demanded angrily. Anna shrugged as she hopped on to the cage door, seeing to her dismay that it was a six digit key code needed to unlock the door.

"I am trying to save you guys, what does it look like?" she replied as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

"Well it looks like you had a run in with the devil himself."

"Close enough…" Everyone noticed her mood darkening, even America for once caught on to the change in the atmosphere.

"Vhat the hell happened?" Germany asked.

"Well, I rescued Spain, Romano took him out of here (hopefully) and then I found Russia," she said carefully.

"And…?" America prompted.

"He tried to to kill me." Everyone sweatdropped at the same time.

"Are you alright?" England asked. Anna shrugged.

"Physically, yes. Mentally, not at all. Otherwise, I'm just peachy. Oh, and England?"

"Yes love?

"When I healed Spain, I'm sure you can imagine what sort of memory I ended up finding myself in, am I right?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Let's just say, I believe you 100 percent when you say you used to be a pirate." Anna deadpanned. England winced uncomfortably and started fidgeting under her accusatory glare.

"Ah, right, about that-"

"You saw me. You knew about me for centuries. You knew this whole damn time, from the moment I landed on the conference table, who I was and what I was supposed to be. Correct me if I'm wrong!" Anna accused. England said nothing, looking away only in embarrassment and guilt. That was answer enough.

"Son of a bitch…" Anna muttered under her breath. England snapped back to her with a remorseful look on his face

"Anna please, do forgive-"

"Don't waste your breath, I've already forgiven you. Though you owe me a new sweater once this is over with. " Anna pointed out sternly as she held up the torn edges of her sweater. England let out a nervous laugh.

"I'll buy you ten when this is over, I promise."

"And one hell of a shoulder rub."

"You have a deal."

"So, ya goin to bust us out or what?" America interjected.

"I'm no hacker! Give me a second to think, you git!"

"Well think quickly! Those guys will be back any second now!" China urged. Anna glanced around, making sure that no one was trying to get the drop on her, before focusing on the lock. Okay, she thought, six digits, radical paramilitary organization…. think Anna think! Hang on….

The more Anna looked on the keypad, the more she swore some of the key glowed in a red light. Red light means good, right? Focusing on those lights, she saw a swirling ball of energy manifest right above where the enter key ways. She couldn't explain it, but she felt that she just had to- touch it.

Just as she started reaching for that ball of light, Anna felt herself get wrenched away at breakneck speed, the light disappearing as she felt herself get pulled backwards _through the air_ as if pulled back by some invisible string. As soon as it started, it stopped, leaving Anna- dangling in mid-air?! What the f-?!

"Why, hello young Historia! So glad that you could join us!" a thick Romanian accented voice sang from behind her. Anna felt herself be spun around to come face to face with a man in a black hooded cloak, face completely hidden from view. Green mystical energy surrounded his black gloved hands and a team of Elite soldiers with extra armor covered in archaic symbols stood behind him.

"The Alchemist I presume?" Anna asked nervously.

"You presume correctly little Historia! So humbled to make your acquaintance." The Alchemist replied with tiny bow. Okay, Anna thought, we have a cuckoo head with manners here.

"Riiight, can you put me down now? This is really uncomfortable." she asked swinging her legs back and forth in an attempt to touch the ground. Even being a few feet off the ground made her uncomfortable.

"Just a moment, I want to get a good look at you." The Alchemist said, waving his hand as he pulled her closer. Anna wanted to lean away but her body was paralyzed. The Alchemist reached one hand towards her and turned her head back and forth as if searching for some imperfection with her features. What was she, a Barbie doll? Anna wanted to bite that hand off as her anger grew.

"Ever heard of a thing called personal space?" she spat.

"Quite paler than I expected, but brilliant red hair. 'Stained red with the blood of the fallen' as the old texts say. 'And bright eyes that look to the future' indeed! Though, the brows are rather… unfortunate." The Alchemist listed as if she didn't speak. This caused the angry tick to appear on her forehead.

"Oi! Shut the hell up about my face you bloody wanker!" Anna shouted angrily as he finally let her head go.

"Ah yes, there's the accent. You really are a little half-pint half-breed, how wonderful!" he crowed. Anne let forth a growl as her eyebrow twitched, two Rules in one go… this guy was really asking for it.

"What the fuck do you want?!"

"Ah ah ah, where are your manners? Surely you're not that American, are you? Here, put that toy down and let's talk like civilized people." The Alchemist chided. He waved his other hand that wasn't holding her up and her scythe was torn from her grasp, flung to who knows where, before Anna felt herself get pushed back harshly against something metal and flat.

"Ouch, watch i- huh?!" Anna started to protest when metal bands fastened around her wrists and ankles. As soon the locked into place, did the Alchemist lower his hands, the green energy disappearing.

"Now then, are you comfortable? Would you like to hear a story?" The Alchemist asked as if to a child.

"What they hell did you pigs do to Ivan?" Anna growled out as she struggled against her bonds.

"Ah yes, Mister Russia. Naturally, one would expect the darker side of History to be attracted to a country as bloody as his-"

"Don't preach like you know me, you did something to Ivan! You know nothing about him, nor about me for that matter!"

"So sure, how do you know he didn't try to kill you of his own will?"

"Mind games won't work on me, Ivan would never hurt me! Ever!"

"Are you sure? Even when he did so before?"

"Of course I- wait, what?" Now Anna was severely confused. The Alchemist summoned a series of green wisps that hovered about the room, a series of strange whispers emitting from the eerie orbs of light. Anna looked to the others for an explanation, and while Arthur looked tense, the others were just as confused.

"Annabelle Louise Colins, born June 16th, 1993. Parents, Martha and Eric Colins, divorced for eight years this month. World History PhD student at Cambridge. Best friend to Kaitlyn Marie Carmichael, Beatrice Rae Johnson and Kimberly Rose Johnson, and Ian Alexander Lewis, the latter deceased. This is your human life, in it's most basic form, no?" The Alchemist said. Anna glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Your point?" she growled.

"This, is the life where your true self finally, physically manifests itself. For you see, little 'Annabelle,'" he put extra emphasis on her full name in mockery "this is not the first time you have been alive. Ah yes, you look at me in horror and disbelief now but listen! What are the whips telling you?" Anna scoffed at first, but soon as time went on she could pick out individual sounds from the garbled mess.

A child laughing.

A war cry.

Screaming

Cheering.

Crying.

Music.

Bullets.

Anguish.

Singing.

It all ran together in a cacophonous mess, giving Anna a throbbing headache as the noises got louder and louder. What was worse, she felt her heart pull at each sound, as if it recalled something long since repressed and forgotten.

"These are sounds from your past lives, all throughout this world's history. Honestly, do you believe your fascination with History was an accident?"

"Shut up! It's just a coincidence! I've already accepted what my role is-"

"Accepted? Accepted?! My dear girl, you have done nothing but the exact opposite!"

"Don't listen to him Anna, he's trying to get into your head!" England shouted.

"Better than trying to a sword through her shoulder, no?" The Alchemist chided.

"I've forgave him already, I never hold grudges!" Anna defended. The Alchemist regarded her for a moment, before resuming walking.

"Annabelle, why do you think it hurts whenever you try and heal them?"

"Well I! I mean, I don't-!" Anna stammered for an answer.

"What is, tell me, your purpose?"

"To help them! To guide them into letting go of their pain-"

"Wrong! What, do you think History is merciful? That her nature is kind and warm? Bah! You know nothing of History! Can you not hear the screams? The sounds of nations, livelihoods, entire races dying in agony? This THIS! THIS, is what gives History her character; the blood stains and echos it leaves behind." The Alchemist ranted. As he spoke, the horrifying sounds only got louder and Anna struggled to drown them out.

"America, that man-child born of millions, how many of his own Natives did he kill to become the superpower he is today? How many innocent civilians has he _nuked_ in retaliation for a few lost soldiers?" Alfred shrank in on himself as he glared at the hooded man.

"Or England? That tyrant of an Empire, leading murderous Crusades across the Holy Land and New world alike, give him an inch and he'll take over the world. How did it feel to be in the presence of his true, blood thirsty nature?" England growled angrily as the hooded man spoke.

"Germany, well, the very name conjures the faces of the event that coined the world 'Genocide.'" Germany's face remained stern, but the glint in his eye was murderous.

"Even precious, innocent Italy. The birthplace of the first Fascist government and scoundrels that rule the streets wherever they go. All these countries, are GUILTY!" Italy shrank back in terror as the Alchemist shouted.

"Of what? The deeds and wishes of a few men?! Anger over the past is poison, don't condemn them based on what they've done before!" Anna protested, inside boiling in anger. How DARE he besmirch her friends, none of them proud of the deeds they had done under different rule! She knew what he was up to, classic villain, trying to make her doubt herself. Well, he's got another thing coming.

"Poison, ah yes poison! That is was History is, what YOU are my dear. At least for now."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You see my dear, if you were to truly accept your position, you would have carried the evils of every Nation known to man. A warm light for the ashes to fall around. The equation of every Nation. For that's what they are, Nations. But no, you see them as people, each one a person waiting to be saved like a sinner in church. And for that, you only witness their wounds. Take the pain away yes, but for how long? The memories remain nonetheless."

"A Man is the sum of his memories, to take them away would be to destroy the man. I will NEVER do that to them."

"Of course, of course. Not willingly. You see, your inability to let yourself be consumed by the flame and truly relive the experience makes your physiology very unique. This body, nay, this vessel, was cultivated in a world entirely different to ours while your Spirit waited. And as long as your spirit remains detached, your blood is toxic to the inhabitants of this world." Anna did not like the sound of that.

"My blood? What do you need my blood for?"

"All in due time, this isn't some movie where I reveal all my plans to you and you make some heroic last minute escape. Do make yourself comfortable, you won't be leaving for a long while." The Alchemist then waved his hand, the wisps disappearing into thin air before he and his entourage left the room.

"Either way, when I do escape you're going to regret having ever been born you bastard! Just you wait! I'll kick your ass so hard I'll paint the walls a new color of brain and guts! Wanker!" Anna shouted after him, struggling in her bonds before lying back panting for breath. This day just went from bad to worse to rock bottom. Everyone was silent, Anna's mind reeling in confusion and stress over their current situation.

"Anna, are you okay dude?" America asked out the blue, his loud voice shattering the silence. Anna turned to raise a sarcastic brow at the man.

"America, we are deep underground in some psycho's lair, my boyfriend's been brainwashed, I'm currently strapped to a metal table like some fourth grade science project, some hooded Voldemort wannabe is trying to mind-fuck with me, how 'okay' do you think I am?" she replied sardonically. America shrugged.

"Just askin.'"

"England, why haven't you tried using your magic to, I don't know, turn all of you into mice or something so that you could escape?" Anna asked curiously. England let out a sigh.

"It's not that simple love, I'm not sure who that man is, but something he's done to this room is draining my abilities. I've tried my best." he replied.

"Right."

"Say Anna, wanted to ask you something." America stated randomly. Anna cocked a brow.

"Shoot." she said.

"Your first name's Annabelle?" he asked with a mocking smile. Anna sent a deadpan glare his way.

"You're SOOO lucky that I can't move from this table fat ass…" she muttered as she let out a sigh of frustration. No plan, no backup, no way to get off this fucking table, and an American who only paid attention to the wrong things.

Now what?

 **AN: AH! What's happened to Ivan? Who is the Alchemist? What is to become of Anna and her friends! Urge... to cliff hang... too great...! Need... reviews to... keep going! GAH!**

 **Yes, I'm evil ;)**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: Heyo! Finally, new chapter! Be warned things get a little intense here. Okay, let's go!**

Anna blew the bangs out of her face for the tenth time in the last hour. Her back was killing her and a crick had developed in the base of her neck. Being strapped to a table was really starting to grate on her nerves. To make things worse, England and America had gotten into an argument. AGAIN.

"And I'm telling YOU, you ain't the boss of me anymore! Quit telling me what to do!" American shouted.

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be stuck in a cage like animals! And what sort of word is 'ain't?' For God's sake quit butchering the English language!" England countered.

"When the hell did this become my fault? You just like blaming me for everything! And I can say whatever the hell I want old man!"

"You just had to go 'take a closer look,' therefore it is your fault! And don't take that tone with me…!" And so it went on, and Anna was starting to feel a burning pain in her chest, just over where her heart was. Was it related to the two bickering Nations that made up her heritage? Either way, it fucking hurt!

"OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH!" Anna yelled when it became too much. The two Nations shut up quickly and everyone regarded her with wide eyes. The burning in her chest went down immediately.

"Right, I don't know how much repressed sexual tension the two of you have, but this NOT THE FUCKIN' TIME! I swear to God, if I were not strapped down right now, I'd march right over there to knock your heads together! I mean, seriously! You two are the only primarily English speaking Nations out of 196 countries in the entire word, and all you guys use it for is arguing! What the actual flying fuck is wrong with that picture?" Anna ranted, facepalming herself in the process… hang on…. facepalming? What the-?

Her hand was free?! When did that happen!?

"Are you okay Anna?" an adorable voice asked. It couldn't be!

"Flying Mint Bunny! What are you doing here?" Anna asked. England's face lit up at the sight of his flying friend, while the others present regarded the two of them… suspiciously. America leant towards Germany.

"Dude, does she see invisible people too?" he asked quietly. Germany sweatdropped while the vertical blue lines appeared on everyone's faces.

"It vould appear so." Germany replied. Meanwhile…

"I was worried when I didn't hear your signal! Are you hurt?" FMB asked. Anna shook her head and smiled as he got to freeing the rest of her limbs.

"No, just a little frazzled, that's all. Are those other spirits still at the generators?" Anna asked as she lept off the table. God, that felt good, she thought as she worked out the kinks in her muscles.

"Uh huh, just waiting for the signal!" FMB replied nodding.

"Anna-san, what are you tarking about?" Japan asked.

"England, when I give the word, whistle your national anthem. FMB, I need you to be a lookout while I try and unlock this cage." Anna ordered. FMB nodded with a "roger!" and flew off while Anna jumped on to the cage.

"Anna, what are you doing?" England asked.

"I think I know how to unlock this. FMB got some of the local spirits to help, so when you give the signal, they'll knock off the generators and this place will black out. All the doors will be open so you guys should be able to slip out and meet with Spain and Romano… if they managed to get backup." Anna said, trying to conjure the mysterious red lights from before to appear over the keypad.

"Aaaand…. what will you do?" America asked.

"What do you think?"

"Miss Anna, you cannot possibly stay here! They will kill you dead!" China protested.

"But I have to save Ivan!" Ann protested. England grabbed her shoulder.

"Anna, I forbid it. You're just not ready to face them yet, let us take care of things!" he said firmly, using an authoritative tone that startled her.

"B-But, I have to-" she stammered.

"Hey, if I can't be the hero neither can you! We can take care of ourselves!" America said, beaming brightly along with a wink.

"Anna-san, I think I understand your predicament. You suffered a painful ross in your past, and it is hard for you to ret those feerings go. However, I think now is the time for you to ret go of those events. That way, you can trury grow into your new roru as Historia." Japan said, a calm smile present on his face. His words were knives in Anna's heart, unwanted tears streaming down her face. Images of Ian, broken and bleeding on the hospital bed, lifeless soon after, flashed through her mind. His last words "I'm sorry…" echoed in her head, drawing a sob from her. Count on Japan to say something profound at the oddest times. This caused her to laugh humorlessly.

"What ever happened to 'refraining from speaking' after you sense the mood?" she asked sarcastically. Japan's smile grew slightly bigger in response.

"I figured it was a good time to speak now." he replied. Anna laughed and nodded her head, wiping the stray tears with the edge of her sleeve.

"You guys are dead set on this, aren't you?" she asked the group. Everyone smiled or nodded in response. Knowing that they were on her side made her feel as if a giant weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"Right. FMB! Get over here, we have a change of plan…" Anna called out. Time to show these assholes who's boss!

…

"Now are you certain that this is the code?" England asked for the fifth time. Anna rolled her eyes.

"Positive. Don't ask me how I know, it was just some Historia thing that I had no idea I can do. I think I'll call it the Near Sight. That's a cool name right?" Anna asked excitedly.

Awkward pause.

"Well, I think it's cool…" she muttered.

Let's flash back real quick so we know what she's talking about, okay?

FLASHBACK

Anna concentrated as the red lights started to appear. America asked what she was doing but she drowned his voice out (which is no small feat mind you) and focused on doing… whatever these images were doing. Finally, the large orb over the enter key manifested and this time, Anna was able to pull at the light.

All of the sudden, Anna felt the air whirl around her as after-images of men and women walked around at an accelerated pace. The Nations in the cage vanished as the entire room became bathed in a red sheen. When the air came to a standstill, Anna saw as her friends were being held hostage by armed men, being led to a now empty cage.

"Are you sure you want 'em here sir? Kinda cramped." a soldier asked. Schneider made a noncommittal gesture and grunted.

"It does not matter, ve'll need them soon." he said. The soldier, who was dragging a scowling England, shrugged and went over to the cage.

"Hey Cooper, what's the code again?" he asked. Another soldier walked up and punched in the numbers, making sure it was out of view of the captured Nations.

2-4-4-1-9-1-6

Now where had Anna seen those numbers before…

"The Easter Rising!" she exclaimed quietly to herself. As soon as she spoke the red sheen vanished and Anna found everything back as it was, with the Nations watching her curiously as she smiled victoriously.

"Anna, what happened?" England asked.

"I'm not to sure, but I know what the code is. It's the date of the start of the Easter Rising, 24th of April, 1916!" she replied.

END FLASHBACK

"I'm not entirely sure that flashback was really needed." Anna remarked as she got into her position on the metal table.

"I quite agree." said England.

I thought it was necessary...

"Can you at least come up with a better name than Near Sight?" America complained, earning an eyeroll from Anna.

"Well, what would you call it then?" she asked sardonically. America opened his mouth to reply when FMB came fluttering back.

"They're coming!" he panicked. Anna quickly resumed her previous position with the cuffs closed enough to give the illusion of still being captured.

"Everyone get ready, wait for my mark!" she whispered just as the Alchemist and his entourage returned.

"Well Miss Colins, are you comfortable?" the Alchemist asked, rubbing his hands together. Anna eyed the strange looking device carried in by Schneider with apprehension, but schooled her expression to remain nonchalant.

"As much as one can be when they're tied down like a frog about to be cut open. Did you bring any magazines?"

"Joke all you want Miss Colins, the time has come to fulfill your destiny."

"Which would be... what, pray tell?" Anna watched as the doctors fiddled with dials and knobs attached to the giant sphere she was close to.

"This serum, concocted by my ingenious Doctor Schneider following my studies, attacks a Personification's nervous system, targeting the area of the brain that triggers memory. With a few of my own personal touches, it extracts their darkest fears and worst memories and traps them in a living nightmare. So to speak. However, as of now the effects are temporary and easily overcome. That is why I need your precious blood." the Alchemist leered, stroking Anna's face with the back of his hand. Anna pulled back in disgust and spat in his face, snapping her fingers as she did while he was distracted. Taking his cue, England began to whistle his national anthem slowly, drawing out each note so that it rang out throughout the cavern. The Alchemist wiped at his face before bringing his arm across her face, the slap ringing harshly in the air. Anna kept a steeled expression trained at the man despite the stinging on her skin.

"Pretentious little bitch…"

"You're just lucky Ivan isn't lucid right now." Anna growled.

"Ah yes, how could I forget. Fetch the Russian." The Alchemist ordered, two of his men saluting before walking off. "Now where was I…? Ah, yes. Your blood is the catalyst that will make the effects of this serum permanent, therefore completing stage one of our plans."

"Let me guess, you need the other Culture Personifications for the other stages don't you?" said Anna. She cast a quick glance over at England, what was taking FMB so long? He shrugged.

"Indeed. Originally, we intended for the four of you to arrive together. However, that's the thing with magic. You never really know for certain what you're going to get, yes? Ah, here he is!" at this moment, the two guards returned, dragging a half-dead looking Ivan along with him. Anna's breath caught at the sight of her love, he looked even worse than before.

"As you can see, the serum has almost taken its full effect on our Russian friend. No doubt he has a plethora of violent memories to suffer from. All we need is the last ingredient…" the Alchemist waved his hand and the doctor carrying the strange device slowly made her way towards Anna. FMB, she swore, if you don't hurry-

All of the sudden, the lights flickered and shut down completely, the sounds of doors and deadbolts unlocking echoed throughout the room.

"NOW!" Anna shouted, wrenching herself off of the table and running towards where the two soldiers carried Ivan. England had put a simple spell on all Nations and herself as to allow them to see in the dark, giving them the advantage over the disoriented Hive members. Ivan stood stock still as Anna rushed the confused soldiers, knocking one out with a swift kick to the underside of his jaw then disarming the other with a quick chi shot to his chest and shoulder, his arms rendered useless before Anna punched him out.

Around her, she saw Germany knock soldiers out left and right with devastating punches, Italy and Lithuania staying close behind, Italy trembling while Lithuania kept an eye out for Germany's flank. England and America were back to back, America brawling with full force while England struck with precision and deadly accuracy, reminding Anna of a cobra with how he moved and the venomous look in his eye. There'd always be a part of the old Empire in him, she thought with a slight shudder. China had pulled out a wok and ladle (from where she had no idea) and was bludgeoning foes left and right. How strong WERE those things? Japan was protecting Ukraine and Belarus, directing them towards the exit while fending off foes with hidden kunai he had stashed away in "most secret praces." All and all things were going alright.

"Ivan, listen to me. We're going to get out of here, alright? I'm going to help you!" over the chaos Anna managed to speak to Ivan. To her delight he moved his head slightly upwards at the sound of her voice, his dead eyes widening ever so slightly. Anna smiled, she knew it! Ivan was fighting the serum somewhere deep in his mind! Just before she could ask where it was he needed her to heal, she felt a hand grasp the back of her scarf and collar and pull her back painfully, choking her slightly as she fell to her knees.

"You won't escape that easily!" the Alchemist's voice rasped in her ear before he grabbed her left arm, wrenched down her sleeve and roughly jabbed something sharp into the soft part of her arm.

The pain was excruciating, tearing an earsplitting scream from the girl that reverberated throughout the mine like that of a banshee. Everyone stopped and looked around in horror at the sound.

"ANNA!" America yelled, rushing towards them like a raging pit bull. One by one he knocked soldiers back with the full force of his brute strength, until a gang of the Alchemist's elite jumped on him all at once, holding him at bay while he struggled like a wild animal. Any others who followed suit met the same fate, and Anna was quickly feeling lightheaded as she felt the blood be forcefully drained from her system. Drops of her blood slid down her arms in streams, the puncture wound far from clean, and she begged and struggled for it to be over.

Finally, she felt the needle get pulled out and she was shoved roughly on to the cold floor, cradling her injured arm. Wisps appeared to illuminate the scene, everyone was being restrained but to Anna's relief, Japan had managed to get away with Ukraine and Belarus.

"Now, if we are done with this madness, let us continue!" the Alchemist proclaimed before he injected the device into a special slot in the base of the glowing sphere. Everyone watched in horror as Anna's blood flowed and mixed into the serum and the entire substance began to glow even brighter, changing from pale green to deep red. The Alchemist proceeded to extract some of the substance into the device, trembling with excitement as he held it in his hands.

"Yesss…. THIS! This the fruition of years of planning, finally starting to come together! Now, who shall be the first to try it? Hm? Come on, it's only your worst nightmares." he taunted gleefully, walking around to each of the Nations present. He came dangerously close to England, prompting America to struggle even more violently against his captors and Anna to wobble on to her feet weakly, until he turned to face her directly.

"You're services are no longer required Historia, however, I do request that you stay and watch the effects of your lack of vigilance." the Alchemist leered. Right before he turned sharply on his heel and lunged with the device.

Right into the chest of Russia.

"IVAN!" Anna screeched as she rushed towards her love. Russia doubled over, gasping in pain as his muscles and limbs snapped and contorted horribly. Guards blocked her path with loaded guns, causing her to back up trembling as she watched Ivan collapse to the ground and convulse, his dead eyes alight with pain and suffering.

"It's too late for him my dear, I've injected the serum directly into his heart. I'm surprised he even had one. Perhaps this will change that." the Alchemist remarked. As if on cue, a soft popping sound was heard as Ivan's heart once again leapt out of his chest only to be picked up by the Alchemist. Ivan stopped twitching and his breathing slowed.

"Ivan, Ivan don't you die on me! Fight it!" Anna begged, tears streaming down her eyes as she saw all remaining life drain from his eyes.

"Oh, he's as good as dead my dear, nothing more than a giant, harmless vegetable. He certainly won't be needing this anymore." with that the Alchemist tossed Ivan's heart over towards the chasm, Anna scrambling to catch it with shaking hands. It was beating frantically, trembling like a frightened animal in her hands. She heard the sounds of guns being cocked towards her, turning she found herself surrounded by the elite, backed against the edge of the chasm.

"It has been a pleasure and an honor, but now is the time to say goodbye Miss Colins. TO be honest, I did expect a bit more. Then again, you really are just a historian. Shoot her!" the Alchemist ordered. In her shock Anna backed off until she teetered off the edge, waving her arms frantically in an attempt to maintain her balance as one of the guards barked orders in Romanian. The Nations did everything in their power to get to her, and Anna managed to lock gazes with Ivan who feebly reached out an arm towards her. He could recognize her…?

"Anya…" his whispered voice carried towards her as if he were right next to her.

"Fire!"

Right before the soldier finished his order, Anna flinched back violently.

Falling over the edge of the chasm.

Her scream could be heard over the chorus of that of her friends, Ivan's arm falling limply to the ground.

She fell into the abyss, consumed by the darkness in a matter of seconds.

All was silent.

 **AN: Yup. That happened. Yes, I am evil. Reviews please. Thank you. Don't kill me. Okay, I'll stop talking now. Bye.**


	28. Chapter 28

"You bastard. She was just a girl!" England growled as he struggled against his captors. The Alchemist and his entourage seemed unbothered by the fact that they had just sent a young woman falling to her death.

"She was useless to anyone, what is the world without one more historian, hm?" The Alchemist dismissed.

"She was our friend!" America protested, still being held back by a large group of soldiers. The Alchemist came up to leer in America's face, the shadow of his hood lifting ever so slightly to reveal a deranged smile.

"Now what are we going to do with you? Yes, perhaps one more test should suffice I think. Prepare the Yank." and America found himself being dragged to a wall in the cavern where metal cuffs were bolted in.

"If you so much as lay a hand on a single hair-" England started to threaten, eyes practically glowing with anger.

"You'll what? Still feel an inkling of affection for your rebellious colony? My dear England, you do surprise me."

"Don't worry about me Iggy, I'm the hero remember? They can't hurt me!" America tried to reassure, but even his smile lacked its usual confidence after what they had just seen happen to their friends.

"We'll see about that. Send the serum to Nautica to prepare for the next stage, but leave the sample in the extraction device. I want to make this Yank scream..." The Alchemist said lowly, chuckling darkly as America was bound with the cuffs that he found, to his dismay, made of the one metal that he could not break out of; Titanium. Around them, scientists set about draining the completed serum into smaller tanks, handing them to soldiers who carried them out to the vehicle hangar for transportation. A series of clangs and a few gruff curses sounded in the dim light.

"Will someone get the damn power back on in here?" Rasamuphmsky ordered angrily before stopping in front of the body of Ivan. His chest barely moved as he breathed, but that was all to show that the Russian was even alive. His dead eyes were trained on the spot where Anna had stood just moments before. Rasamuphmsky sneered.

"How the mighty have fallen, eh mister Russia? Tell me," he stooped down to whisper in Russia's face, "does it feel good to be brought down so low? While I would love to kick you while you're down, I'd rather not waste my time with something so… broken. What your little bitch saw, I will never know. Для моего отца…" and then he got up and walked away, barking more orders at his men.

"Poor Anna…" China remarked to himself sadly, he never did have the chance to know her better.

"V-v-ve, maybe she made it through si? Sh-sh-she did survive a plane crash after all…" Italy reasoned feebly, tears streaming down his face as he trembled behind an enraged captured Germany. China and America wore expressions of sorrow and pure anger respectively, and Canada was-

Hang on a second…

Where was Canada?

…

"-na"

Her head was pounding, who the heck was shouting at her?

"Ann-"

What are they saying? Hang on, it sounded like a name…. was it her name?

"Anna..?"

That voice, where had she heard it before? Opening her eyes slowly, she met a pair of violet-blue eyes.

"Canada…?" she asked feebly, voice strained. Canada let out a huge sigh of relief as Anna slowly came around.

"Oh, I'm glad you're alright eh… you had me worried for a moment." he helped her slowly sit up, checking to make sure something wasn't broken. Anna groaned, her head hurt like hell! She looked around, seeing that they were in some deep underground cavern illuminated by one old lantern.

"Where are we? What happened? How did you escape?" Canada sighed.

"When the rest of us got captured, none of the soldiers could see me. But I stayed close by, sent Kumajiro to go get help eh. I saw you trying to help the others and I was sure you were going aboot it alright, but then everything went wrong. You had a nasty fall… I floated us both down to safety but you hit your head…" he replied. She nodded, now it was all coming back to her. They had all tried to escape, but everything… it all went wrong. The serum was completed… and that bastard… he used it.

He used it on Ivan.

Oh god, Ivan!

Canada was flabbergasted when Anna started bursting into tears, burying her head into her hands and knees as she sobbed violently.

"Hey, are you alright? Are you hurting?"

"It's my fault… it's my fault… I failed…!" she cried, repeating herself over and over as she worked herself into hysterics. What was she thinking? That being named a Personification made her something special? That she was a hero? God, she was no better than America… Oh no, what if he hurt America next?! And then England, Germany, precious little Italy..

All because she failed!

"There there, I saw everything. It wasn't your-" Canada tried to comfort.

"DON'T! Don't even.. try to say, that this isn't my fault…! I failed, I couldn't be… Historia… now Ivan.. Ivan… Ivan…!" she lamented between sobs, breaking down into Canada's embrace when she mentioned Ivan. What horrible nightmare could he be trapped in? And now that his heart-

Dear god!

Where was his heart?!

"Man, this so gross!" Anna looked over to see Flying Mint Bunny hovering over to them, carrying Ivan's heart in his paws. Anna reached out and grabbed it from him as soon as she could reach, grasping it close to her chest and rocking back and forth as if it were a crying child. Canada, through thoroughly creeped out by the display, felt his heart break for the girl.

"I'm sorry Ivan… I can't save you…" she whispered to the fluttering organ. FMB's wings and ears drooped in sadness, landing on the ground and rubbing into Anna's side in an attempt at comfort. Anna smiled at the gesture and gave him a little pat between the ears in appreciation.

"What are we going to do eh?" Canada asked. Anna looked at him with hopeless, dead eyes.

"What can we do?"

"Well, you can quit lying around on your arses all day for starters!" a voice declared loudly. Everyone present jumped and froze at the sound, looking around for who spoke. Anna raised a brow, that voice sounded too familiar…

"Who said that?" Canada asked fearfully. All of the sudden, the trio watched in awe as a mysterious red orb of light floated over to them. A trail of red light followed in it's wake, deteriorating into dust behind it as it approached. Despite the strangeness of the being, Anna didn't feel afraid of it. Quite the opposite in fact.

"Me! Come on, you're going to give up here? But you're so close!" the orb insisted. Anna realized that it was speaking in HER voice! How was this possible? In her state of mind, hearing something use her voice pissed her off.

"I don't know what or who you are, but you quit using my voice-" Anna shouted angrily, only to stop when the orb zoomed towards her, stopping just in front of her face.

"You mean OUR voice? I thought you'd have figured it out who I am the moment we saw each other!" the orb complained. Anna started.

"What are you talking about?" Anna questioned, getting seriously annoyed. The orb sighed, and if it had eyes she was sure that it would have rolled them.

"You stupid git, I'm YOU!" the orb proclaimed, before taking the shape of Anna. Only this Anna had slightly longer hair and was dressed in what looked to be a long black cloak. Illusion Anna looked at the Real Anna with an annoyed pout.

"Honestly, I've been watching you hun. And I KNOW my vessel has got more moxy than this." Illusion Anna stated shaking her head. Vessel? That must mean…!

"You're Historia…" Anna realized. This time, Historia DID roll her eyes in annoyance.

"No, you're me, I'm you, we're Historia. Get it? Good. Don't forget it. Honestly, I can't believe it's taken you this long to see me."

"Nope. Nope nope nope, I cannot be talking to myself. That is-"

"Meta as fuck right? Believe me, I know. But! No time to dwell on that, it's time to get to business!" Anna looked at her counterpart in confusion.

"Business?" Illusion Anna rolled her eyes again, seriously, was her vessel being this dense on purpose?

"Quit parroting me and think. We need to save everyone stupid!" Illusion Anna tapped Anna's forehead, rather painfully in point of fact.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Anna asked bleakly.

"Well for one, you can stop acting like you're a normal human."

"What are you talking about?" Illusion Anna sighed.

"Looks like I'm going to have to spell everything out, huh?" she asked looking at Canada, who merely shrugged. This whole thing was just too weird!

"Basically, you've been going about being me all wrong. You're treating everyone like normal people-"

"But they are normal people! They're not just some puppet for a Nation!" Anna protested angrily, Illusion Anna putting up her hands as a sign of peace, not even remotely bothered by Anna's reactions.

"Raise your hand in class if you have a comment. Otherwise, listen to teacher. They're not normal people Anna, not everyone is an Ian waiting to be saved." Illusion Anna stated rather coldly. This shut Anna up, the words Japan had said to her previously ringing throughout her mind.

'It is time for you to ret those feerings go, so that you can trury step into your new roru as Historia'

"Yeah, what ol's Jappie says."

"Of course you can hear my thoughts." Bit out Anna with a bitter smile. Illusion Anna smiled proudly.

"Well, technically they're my thoughts as well. You keep projecting the feelings over your loss on to your friends, so that you end up trying to save the person within the Nation. What we're supposed to be doing is the opposite."

"You mean, finding the Nation within the Person?"

"Ding ding ding! She can be taught!"

"What does that mean?"

"Hun, what is the Merriam-Webster definition of the word 'History?'" Illusion Anna asked with a raised brow. Real Anna furrowed hers in confusion.

"A chronological record of significant events, as affecting a nation or institution, often including an explanation of their causes." she replied.

"Right again! And, funnily enough, did that definition say anything about a person?" Anna shook her head. "Precisely! It isn't our job to worry about their well-being, that's Grammatica's job."

"Grammatica?"

"Literature, Linguistics, etc." Anna nodded her understanding. I wonder who that will be, she wondered.

"So, what is our job then?" Anna asked. Illusion Anna laughed.

"What every Historian does hun! To record and maintain the truth of past events, and make sure no one loses nor truly forgets what happened before. Besides, only by-"

"-Learning from our past, can we be better prepared for our future. Those who fail to learn from History-"

"-Are doomed to repeat it. So then, Historia, what are you afraid of?" Illusion Anna asked. Real Anna was stunned by this question, how was she supposed to answer this?

Losing her friends.

Losing her mind

Losing sight who she really was and where she came from.

Losing the love of her life.

Ending up… alone.

"It's okay. We're not gods, nor angels, or some other supernatural being. Historia is Anna, Anna is Historia. No matter what, we'll always be us, and we'll always have our friends." Historia smiled warmly as she said this, placing a soothing hand on Anna's shoulder.

"How can you be sure?" Anna demanded. Historia shrugged.

"Well, I am the congregation of all of the world's past events, plus your personality and memories,and I can tell you this; nations and people aren't so easily forgotten in this day and age. Besides, once your friends get here, then the real fun begins!"

"Hang on, my friends?"

"More on that later hun! So, are you ready to get this party started?" Historia asked putting out her hand. Anna looked at the offered hand and at the heart beating in her hands. It may have been her imagination, but ever since Historia appeared, it seemed to have started beating at a more normal rate. If Anna can't save Ivan and her friends, then Historia can.

"I'm not sure how this is a party, but as long as I get a chance to beat that hooded bastard to high heaven and back I'll join you until the end of time." Anna replied, her smirk returning to her face for the first time in what felt like ages. Historia mirrored this smirk with one of her own.

"Sooner than you think." with that, Anna and Historia locked hands and Canada watched in awe as both figures became bathed in a white light. Red wisps appeared, each one emitting a series of whispers much like the ones the Alchemist summoned. However, these whispers were not ominous nor clashing in a cacophony of sounds. One had to strain to pick out the individual sounds but Canada found himself mesmerized by the ageless and timeless quality it held. All the good, the bad, easy, hard, joyous and sorrowful, woven together to create a legacy in sound.

"See, this is what the Alchemist doesn't see that we can. WE can find the good inside of the bad, and vice versa. We make sure that these past events, remain in the past. Never forgotten, so that they are never repeated." Historia said, smiling brightly before vanishing back into a round orb, floating directly into the center of Anna's chest.

Anna gasped. She felt so… strange! Her chest felt as if a heavy weight was finally lifted and replaced with something both new and ancient, cold and warm, big yet small, light and dark. It made her feel like crying and laughing at the same time.

It was… wonderful.

 _There we go girl, you can feel it! Come on, look around! What do you see, what can you use to beat these assholes?_

Canada watched as Anna's hair grew in length to fall past her shoulder blades, the auburn color changing to a bright blood red. A glowing red aura surrounded the girl as the ends of her scarf and hair floated from an invisible breeze. A tiny smile formed on her face.

"Canada, go stand by that pulley over there." she ordered with a giddy laugh, holding out her hand as she stood up from the ground. From his position on the ground, Canada watched in awe as this small girl transformed into what felt like an extremely powerful being before his very eyes. All within a matter of moments.

A loud clanging rang from somewhere in the darkness as something zoomed in towards them. Anna caught the object in her hand, her discarded scythe now repaired and adorned with an elongated blade covered in skeletal engravings, and clanged the end on the ground. The loud echo caused Canada to jump up from his position and tremble slightly. Not that he was afraid no, but damn! This girl was intimidating. It did not help that when she looked up at him, her blue eyes had a new ring of red around the edges. Paired with her slightly off kilter smile, plus the steadily beating heart she held in her other hand, she had the makings of a perfect, high functioning maniac.

"We're going to bring the house down. Literally."

 **AN: As they say, once you've hit rock bottom, the only way you can go is up! Will Ivan be cured? Can America be saved before he is subjected to the same fate? Tune in next time as Anna is now officially bonded with Historia, review to see what sort of hell she unleashes upon her enemies! Allons-y!**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: Finally back with a new chapter! This one is looooong... so I won't dilly dally and let you get to it! ;) Onwards!**

Things were starting to look very bleak for our dear Nations. In mere minutes, they were to be loaded into trucks in order to be taken God knows where. But not before they had to watch their youngest and strongest member be subjected to the same psychological torture that had befallen their Russian friend. At some point the power had managed to be reactivated, although the main circuits were running on emergency power only so all of the dead locks were still deactivated.

"Well I see no reason why to prolong the inevitable! Besides, we need to prepare the the arrival of the next Cultural guardian. Dr. Schneider, I give the honor of performing the next test over to you." the Alchemist said handing the device with the serum over to the skinny doctor. The doctor leered at America with a sadistic gleam in his eye.

"Vith pleasure, herr Vlad-" he started to reply before the Alchemist grabbed him by the throat and held a hand surrounded by green fire dangerously close to his face.

"NEVER, speak my real name in public you worm." he growled dangerously. Schneider nodded nervously.

"Yes, forgive me! It vas a slip of the tongue!" he rambled as he was slowly released. The Alchemist regarded the doctor for a moment before summoning his elite guard to his side.

"I am sorry that I cannot stay and watch, I like many would love to see the world's only superpower fall prey to his memories. But! Time waits for no man, and we shall see eachother soon. La revedere!*" with that, he left the cavern and the Nations behind with the mad doctor. Schneider straightened out his rumpled lab coat before approaching Alfred menacingly.

"Now now herr America, you don't have to vorry. It's only a nightmare you cannot vake up from!" he chuckled maniacally while Alfred struggled against his bonds.

"Look dude, I don't know what it is I've done to you, but whatever that hooded weirdo is teaching you it's all inconsequential!" Alfred pleaded, eyeing the device warily. He was in trouble now… the hero can't be in trouble!

"Vere all the lives you destroyed in my home town inconsequential? Vas the imprisonment of my dear family 'inconsequential?' Vas me being forced to work for you against my will for YEARS inconsequential?!" Schneider hissed in America's face. Just as he drew back his arm with the intention of injecting America with the serum, a loud rumble resonated throughout the cavern. Everyone looked up as the hanging lights shook slightly and dust fell from the ceiling.

"What the hell was that?" China asked.

"I have no idea, but it cannot be gut." Germany replied, eyeing their captors with a calculating look. From the way they were looking at each other, they had no idea what was going on either.

"Ve, Germany? Do you think this place is going to cave in?" Italy asked fearfully.

"Shut your mouth! This mine is perfectly safe!" Schneider shouted before turning his attention back to America. In the way the world works, the sound of a cable snapping echoed from the far end of the cavern, everyone's eye widened as the age-old elevator creaked, snapped and tumbled into the darkness below. Splinters of wood and metal flew everywhere, scientists and doctors alike scattering to avoid the debris. The soldiers holding Britain and China inadvertently gave them the chance to escape in the chaos, and just as they broke free they were startled by a loud holler.

"WHOOOO HOOOOOO!"

"Oh maplllllle!"

"Is that Canada?" America asked, when all of the sudden a flash of red shot out from the cavern and catapulted over the giant sphere.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" a female voice warned. Schneider looked up in time just as the red flash landed right on him and faded, revealing a disoriented and shaking Canada and-

"ANNA!?" All the Nations chorused. Indeed, shaking the dust and rush of adrenaline from her head, was a perfectly healthy, glowing (literally, she's glowing red) and abnormal Anna sitting on top of Schneider. She looked up at America and smiled brightly.

"Hi guys!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"You're not dead!" America stated loudly. Anna threw her arms up in excitement and beamed brightly.

"I know!" Another loud rumble and tremor shook through the cavern, more of the scientists and soldiers abandoning their posts in favor of running for the hills.

"Anna, what the bloody hell is going on?" England demanded worriedly. Anna fixed him a deadpan look.

"Oh, pleasure to see you too Arthur, I feel so touched that you worried so much for my behalf." Anna replied sarcastically, earning a hard glare from England.

"Yes, I'm very glad to see you, but what did you do?" he asked pointedly, the growing tremors growing louder and more intense. Anna got off of the unconscious Schneider, dusting herself off before she went to the corner of the frame and lifted it like a page of a book.

"Flashback!" she replied completely flipping the frame back to ten minutes ago.

"Um, Anna, what are you doing with those?" Canada asked nervously as Anna shifted around some old crates. She ignored his question and muttered to herself as she searched for a certain object-

"A-HA!" she exclaimed, holding up a metal box full of…

Dynamite?!

"Anna! That's dangerous! They may not even work properly-" Canada worried, flailing his arms wildly as he hovered around in chibi mode. Anna merely smirked and chuckled.

"Oh, it will work alright. Watch this!" she held out a stick of dynamite and Canada watched in awe as it became surrounded by a warm red glow for a moment, transforming from old to new in a matter of seconds.

"Holy maple, how did you do that?" he asked.

"It's called Restore, it's takes a bit of energy but I can restore small objects like these to their pristine conditions by removing the aging energy from them. Or, something like that. I can also do the opposite and Deteriorate, which is basically aging objects. What we're going to do with these, is cause a cave in!" Anna exclaimed as she handed the new stick of dynamite over to Canada. He looked at her in shock.

"A-Are you insane!? That could kill us-" he started to protest until Anna put a hand on his shoulder.

"Not if we time it correctly. This mine was closed in the 70s because miners already weakened the foundations to the point of collapse. All we need is a few well timed and well placed explosions and that main cavern should come tumbling down." Anna said, going about Restoring a few more sticks of dynamite.

"And, how do you know that for sure?" Canada asked curiously.

"Well, the Near Sight let me see what recently happened in detail. The Far Sight lets me see a place's entire history, but the farther I look back the more vague it becomes." she explained.

"So, how do you learn anything?"

"I'm a historian. I'm used to having to connect the dots and fill in the gaps with any sources I use! Now come on and hand me those fuses; we've got a mine to blow up!"

"You're insane!"

"I know."

With that, Anna pulled at the top corner of the frame and pulled it down in order to flip the story back to the present.

"SO! Those rumbles y'all been hearing are the sounds of explosions going off and the foundations of this cavern starting to crumble! After the third explosion in about-" another rumble echoed throughout the cavern, this time everyone feeling the tremors under their feet, "two seconds ago, we'll have about ten minutes to get the hell out of here. Shall we?" Anna said, rather too calmly. Everyone present stiffened and proceeded to scramble out of here.

"Germany, America, you guys get Ivan. Be careful! Everyone else, follow me!" Anna ordered, motioning towards the large door. Ludwig and Alfred each took one of Ivan's arms and slung them over their shoulders, bringing him along as Anna started to lead the group of Nations towards the vehicle hanger.

"Yo Anna, how do you know where you're goin'?" America asked over the growing tremors.

"I'll explain later, let's move!" she replied, growing frantic. The foundations were crumbling faster than she anticipated, they would have to get to the hanger fast before they all got buried sixty feet under!

"NOT! So! Fast…" a voice growled as the group turned a corner. Anna skidded to a stop as Rasamuphmsky stood there, blocking their path with a fully loaded weapon with the completed serum. The others stopped behind her.

"Anna, get behind us-" Arthur started to order pulling back on Anna's shoulder, only for her to wrench it out of his grasp.

"No chance in hell, he can't hurt me with that thing. YOU stay behind me until I give you an opening." Anna countered. Before Arthur could have a chance to protest Anna took a few steps forward and brandished her scythe jauntily.

"Evening good sir! You look a little shook up!" she taunted, grinning a Cheshire cat grin. The man in front of her snarled in anger.

"You have been nothing but a pain in the ass, nosey little bitch!" he spat out. Anna merely shrugged.

"Well, I am American, at least partly. Kinda in the job description to be a little nosey…" she replied with a wink.

"Yeah, that's right! Wait, what?" Alfred said from behind her. Was that a compliment or an insult?

"SHUT UP! Because of you, we won't have enough resources to meet our quota. Everywhere you go, you cause destruction! Our ideals-!"

"Ideals, my friend, are peaceful. History is violent. And I'll personally make sure you guys are nothing but a footnote in the history books." Anna said, losing her jovial tone and taking an offensive stance with her scythe. Rasamuphmsky paled slightly as the ends of her red scarf hovered threateningly, but cocked his weapon nonetheless.

"You think that little stick is going to help you against THIS?!" he yelled, pulling the trigger. Just as the weapon charged, Anna smirked and held her scythe straight out in front of her with one arm, motioning for the others to file right behind her.

BZZZZH-XOOM!

A red beam shot out from the weapon right towards Anna's face.

Only to split straight down the middle into two perfect halves and hit the walls harmlessly, leaving everyone present shocked and in awe.

"I am really glad that actually worked." Anna stated just as more tremors echoed throughout the building. Rasamuphmsky dropped the weapon at his feet in shock.

"What-? HOW?!" he demanded angrily.

"I would love to explain, but the fact is I really don't know and you're going to be knocked out in a few seconds." Anna dismissed with a smile smile.

"PAH! You, a pathetic little girl, thinks she can take me? I've been trained for years in hand to hand combat-" Rasamupmsky started to rant before Anna held up her hand.

"I didn't mean me." she said, pointing behind him. Rasamuphmsky started and slowly turned around…

Only to come face to face with a giant wok.

Everyone watched as Rasamuphmsky fell to the ground swirly-eyed, stars dancing around his head as China stood there triumphantly. Anna had merely been the distraction you see. What, were you expecting some drawn out battle between he and Anna that defied the laws of time set by how long the explosives have to detonate? This ain't no Hollywood movie!

"Couldn't have said it better myself Narrator. Now come on everyone, let's get out of here! Nice going China!" Anna urged, patting China on the shoulder as she moved past him. As the group moved, another loud tremble followed by rocks falling off the ceiling occurred.

"Shit, this place is about to-!"

"Oi, sadist bitch, move!" a loud voice called out.

Was that-?!

Anna's thoughts were interrupted when she found herself blinded by a pair of tail lights, the sound of screeching tires echoing throughout the cavern as a large covered truck driving haphazardly in reverse skidded to a stop just feet from where Anna was just standing had she not stumbled back.

"Hola amigos! Need a lift?" Spain asked as he stuck his head out of the passenger window. Anna let out a sigh of relief.

"Perfect timing guys, everyone get on!" she exclaimed, everyone jumping into the back of the truck while she stayed behind to help America and Germany lift Russia into the back. Just as they managed to have him laying comfortably in the middle of the truck, one final explosion went off and the lights flickered out.

"Anna Anna Anna, the cave is falling!" Flying Mint Bunny appeared from the darkness and landed on Anna's shoulder, trembling terribly as Anna watched in horror when the sound of tumbling rocks echoed in the distance.

"Get in the truck NOW! ROMANO, DRIVE LIKE HELL!" Anna shouted, pulling America into the truck followed by Germany just as Romano put pedal to the metal. Everyone lurched backwards as the truck screeched and drove forwards jarringly, Germany almost flying backwards had Anna and America not been there to catch him.

"Be careful! Let someone else drive!" Germany shouted as he was pulled back in.

"Eat shit pota-" Romano started to shout back.

"Shut up and drive faster, we got company!" America interrupted. Indeed, three other trucks pulled up behind them, soldiers aiming their weapons right at them.

"Anna, get down!" England shouted, pushing her to the ground just as bullets rained over them, the others ducking behind them.

"They never give up do they?" Anna asked sarcastically, subconsciously holding on to her secret inner coat pocket gently. The fluttering heart inside was still beating, thank goodness. Soon Ivan, she thought to herself as she looked back at her unconscious love.

"They are rather tenacious!" England agreed, until he seemingly noticed something as they drove on. Anna looked over just as he started to smirk, causing her to pull back cautiously. What was he planning…?

"Care to share with the class what has you so happy all of the sudden?" she asked him, looking around to see what had him so confident.

"Why don't you watch and see?" he replied slyly, before he closed his eyes. That was far from comforting, she gulped...

 _Féadfaidh na lasracha na ifreann báistí bhfeice ar ár naimhde agus iad a chur chuig oblivion…_

Anna watched in wonder and slight apprehension as England muttered the strange words, the air around them seemingly going quiet as she felt the ends of her hair stand up on end. She didn't know what he was saying, but the atmosphere around him made her feel both wary and uncomfortable… the only word she could make out at the end was "oblivion…"

All of the sudden a loud explosion knocked the front truck off its tracks, the sudden crash causing the other two trucks to swerve and and wreck against their burning leader. The result was a second, larger explosion that brought the walls and ceiling down on the flaming pile, thus preventing any other 'friends' from following them up the main path. Anna watched this all happen with wide eyes and mouth agape in shock, even as the dark atmosphere subsided slightly, before turning to face England who watched the proceedings with a dark grin.

So. THAT was the power of Britannia… *welp* that's just scary, she thought.

"Remind me to never make you angry Arthur…" she muttered aloud before she could stop herself. Arthur looked down at her and his expression softened slightly.

"Don't you fret love. Besides, that's not even my worst trick." he replied, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. Needless to say it had the opposite effect.

"Oh I believe you." Anna said with a nervous sweatdrop.

"Woah Iggy! What did you do?!" America asked excitedly as the burning pile faded into the distance and they turned a sharp corner. England smiled a little too brightly.

"Just a little trick to drive them off our backs, nothing to worry about!" he replied, dismissing himself from explaining himself. America pouted at the lack of explanation but at that moment Spain called out to them.

"We're almost to the exit mi amigos!" Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when the light of the surface world started to flood the tunnel as they approached. Ah, so that's what the sun looked like! Anna thought as she looked through the separator into the driver's area and out through the windshield. Soon they'd be home-

"NOT SO FAST!"

Fuck.

Romano slammed the brakes so hard that Anna flew threw the little window and ended up facedown in between he and Spain, squashing her nose and glasses on the floor.

"Oww… who the hell?" Anna groaned as she tried to right herself.

"Ouch, watch your damn foot!" Romano complained when one of her feet accidently whacked him in the face.

"Then get your hand off my arse!"

"Lo siento, that was me…"

"Who is- oh… This asshole again." Anna grunted as she saw over the dashboard to see a dirty, haggard and crazed looking Rasamuphmsky standing directly in the entrance with a gun in his hand. Was the only thing he was capable of saying 'Not so fast?' Fine, if it's a showdown he wants, it will be one he'll never forget.

"Hand me my scythe, I'm going out." Anna bit out, grabbing her scythe as it was dropped down to her before climbing over Spain's lap to get out the passenger side door.

"There were a lot of good men and women in there-!" Rasamuphmsky rasped angrily as Anna stood next to the car. Reaching into her coat pocket, she took out Ivan's heart and handed it to Spain who balked in horror as the organ fell on to his lap.

"Hold this." she ordered quietly before approaching Rasamuphmsky slowly, "you know, there were a lot of good men and women in Paris as well. These people should have realized what side they were on." the sudden coldness in her tone surprised almost everyone present, and as everyone scrambled to get a turn to look through the window, the red aura surrounding her flashed dangerously.

"And what about you? Do you know what side you're on?" Rasamuphmsky asked, the gun in his hand shaking with tension. Anna didn't stop her slow approach.

"History doesn't really take sides per se, little man. I just do a great job at knowing which side will go down in infamy." she replied with a shrug. Rasamuphmsky growled and fired a warning shot in front of Anna's feet, causing her to stop and jump back slightly, scythe raised in defence.

"You-! You're just a tiny book worm! A pathetic half breed who can't keep her nose out of other's people's business!" he shouted. Anna's eyes narrowed into dangerous points, the red aura growing brighter as the ends of her scarf started hovered slightly.

"See, that's what pisses me off the most about you guys; you never seem to follow the Rules." she said calmly while pushing her glasses up her nose slightly, the light causing a menacing glare to flash from the frames.

"Rules? What fucking-?!"

"Rule Number One: Don't call me short."

"What the-?"

"Rule Number Two: Never touch me without my permission."

"Shut-!"

"Rule Number Three: Don't EVER call me a half breed! Rule Number Four: I'm not usually allowed to drink coffee or alcohol…"

"When the fuck-?!"

"Do stop interrupting, I'm trying to maintain an order here. Now, where was I?"

"Number Five?" America called out.

"Ah yes, thank you Alfred. Rule Number Five: You threaten my friends, you deal with me. Rule Number Six: I DESPISE my full first name Annabelle. Rule Number Seven: Don't underestimate me. Rule Number Eight: Don't pick me up like a rag doll…"

"What the fuck is this bitch saying?!" Rasamuphmsky demanded angrily. Everyone present merely shrugged and said nothing.

"Rule Number Nine: NEVER, and I mean never, invoke the memory of my friend Ian in a negative light."

"IF you don't shut up, I swear I will-!" he never got to finish his threat. Anna, in a flash of red appeared right in front of him and disarmed him with her scythe before he had a chance to blink. In a wild attempt at retaliation he drew a knife and made to stab her side. Not this time. Anna was just fast enough to evade and trap the oncoming arm, sharply twisting her weapon until she heard a satisfying snap, before pivoting and changing her blade so that she had him trapped with the sharp in curve right against the back of his neck.

"Do you mind if I take this last one Narrator?" she asked through breaths of air.

Go ahead!

"Rule Number Ten: You fuck with my boyfriend, I will make you suffer."

"Finish it then. Or are you too weak to finish an enemy?" Rasamuphmsky taunted, despite the sweat beading down the side of his face. Historia's voice echoed in her head.

 _Well? Are you going to do anything?_

"I promised that no one else will die by my hands, purposely or not. Besides," she said lowly, eyes flashing a deep shade of red as Rasamuphmsky started to tremble at the sheer depth of power this girl now radiated, "death is too good for the likes of you." With a sharp yank, Anna brought his head down and grabbed his face with her right hand, a powerful pulse of energy flowing down her arm and into his head.

"Let's see how you like having someone fuck with your head, assehole." she muttered before she let go, the man crumbling to the ground at her feet in a catatonic state. The red faded from her eyes and she wobbled slightly, the aura fading and her hair returning to her normal color and lenght.

 _You did good, now let's take a breather for a moment._

Anna nodded and turned to face a group of astounded and slightly apprehensive Nations.

"W-What did you do to him?" China asked, shaking slightly after the brief display as Anna walked back to the truck.

"It's his Penance. Essentially, I just did what they've been doing to you guys." she explained grimly.

"But?" England prodded quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder as she climbed back in.

"But, it's doubtful he'll wake up. Come on, we should get out of here." she said, looking back at the cave briefly just in time to see parts of the main tunnel collapse. Romano nodded and turned on the ignition, no one saying a word as they drove the rest of the way across the main bridge, passing Rasamupmsky's body as they did.

"батько…батько…**" Anna heard him wheeze as they passed. He sounded just like a lost child… However, he had hurt many of her friends and countless innocents… there was nothing else she could have done. It still hurt like a bitch however, and she couldn't stop the few stray tears that fell past her eyes. The weight of a decision like this is hard to bear, it was certain that she would have to make more in the future.

"Hey slugger, cheer up! You saved us all, that's all that matters right?" America comforted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Si, Anna is the best ever!" Italy cheered loudly.

"Ja, you did gut." Germany agreed, a smile present on his lips. Anna looked around each of them gratefully and smiled until her eyes fell on Ivan.

"Not yet I haven't" she said, getting up on shaky legs to walk towards the front.

"What are doing?" England asked as she retrieved Ivan's heart from Spain.

"I'm going to save Russia."

Translation:

*- Farewell!

**- Father...

 **AN: So many things happened... *ooof* but we're not done yet kiddies! Review please! :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: New chapter, and I'm putting a trigger warning here for depictions of attempted suicide, and just a general warning for violence and disturbing images. You have been warned. Also, things spoken in Russian will be in italics for this chapter as it would be too disruptive to translate it. Onwards!**

"Anna, I'm not sure that's a good idea. You've already used quite a bit of energy today and you may just pass out if you do this now." England warned as Anna knelt beside Russia. His eyes were closed but moving frantically behind his eyelids, as if lost in a nightmare.

"England's right dude, besides this is Russia were talking about. Who knows what kind of shit's going through his head." America said, regarding the Russian and Anna with concern.

"Well, at least you two agree on something finally." Anna remarked with a half smile, causing the two english speaking Nations to look at each other and then quickly look away. She the proceeded to unfasten Russia's coat and button up shirt to reveal his chest, a wide gaping hole where his heart should be now expanding across his chest. Italy fainted at the sight of it while Germany covered the eyes of Ukraine and Belarus, also looking quite green along with everyone else.

"Guys, I really appreciate your concern but I have to do this. I think I've got the hang of this now, plus, I really don't want to wait any longer. He may not recover if we do…" she said quietly. Everyone understood her worry.

"Very well, but if it gets to be too much for you I request that you stop." Anna looked at England, expressing her gratitude for his concern.

"Thanks England." Anna said as she held the beating heart in her hands and looked down at Ivan's face.

"Don't worry Vanya, I will fix you." she said quietly. To be honest she was nervous as this was the first Nation she was going to heal without getting his consent. But, she didn't have any other choice in the matter. Taking a deep breath, Anna called on Historia within for one last miracle today before gently replacing the heart back into its cavity.

 _Keep a stiff lip hun, things are about to get crazy…_

…

When Anna opened her eyes, she was in Hell.

Or, at least something close to it.

Almost immediately she found herself to be in the courtyard in front of the Winter Palace, but everything appeared slightly distorted and the clouds in the sky almost bled deep red in the light of the sunset. Armed guards ran past her, shouting various things in Russian that she could not quite pick up on except

" _Get the family out!"_

Oh no, she thought as she turned towards the main gate. Marching and chanting, with red armbands around their right arms, came the communist party led by a young Joseph Stalin and his leader Vladimir Lenin. Alongside them, two men carried a beaten and bruised Ivan, who looked around like a lost child at all that was going on around him. Seeing this younger Ivan made Anna's heart clench and her first instinct was to run to him, only to be stopped by a hand.

"No no no, that's wrong girl." Anna whipped around to see her mirror image, Historia, standing behind her shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" she asked herself. God, that will never not be weird to say or think about.

"I told you, you can't deal with the person inside the Nation when you're in here." Historia replied. Anna looked around at the surroundings, the chanting of the communists growing louder behind her.

"What exactly is here? It's just their memories, right?" Historia shrugged and weighed her hands.

"Kind of, more like their perception of History. As you can see, Ivan's is extremely distorted because his head can't separate his heart from his past. That's why it's so damaged and has a tendency to jump out of his chest." she explained. Anna nodded and started looking around for the source of Hive's manipulation.

"Alright, so where do we go now? And explain to me, how was Arthur in Spain's memory able to see me?" Anna asked.

"Arthur was crazy powerful back then, he could see even the most hidden of shadows. That is what we are when we're here, a shadow watching events unfold. So, that's what we're going to do until the time is right." Historia instructed before vanishing into Anna. Anna felt Historia's power simmer in her as she watched the communists break through the gates with the help of some sympathetic castle guards and storm the palace. Taking a deep breath, Anna walked as if she were floating, following the crowd into the Palace. It looked so different from when Ivan had brought her here before, the halls didn't have that haunted atmosphere nor pristine cleanliness that made it feel like a ghost frozen in time. These halls and corridors felt lived in, more like a home where important people used to laugh and play together.

Now there were only screams.

Every person who appeared to be sympathetic to the royal family were either herded away in groups, or if they resisted, shot on sight. Women, children, the elderly, it didn't matter. The sheer amount of brutality being shown against these innocent people almost sickened Anna, however she knew that in this timeline the worse was only yet to come. Suddenly, she noticed something flickering out of the corner of her eye; a red stream of light that ducked and weaved between the bodies and disappeared around a corner. Anna wasn't sure why, but a part of her told her that she needed to follow it.

 _You do actually, don't ask why, you'll see in a minute._

Taking Historia's advice, Anna followed the red light, the chaos around her fading into a fog as she focused on the light. She had started to hear voices as well that echoed louder than the shouting and screaming, but no one else seemed to hear them.

 _"_ _Come on papa…!_

 _"_ _...Mama, look at this dress grandmama gave me…!"_

 _"_ _Alexi, don't run!"_

 _"_ _Big brother Vanya!"_

Anna started when she heard Ivan's name be called. And that voice…!

She turned a corner to see a large door leading to a grand room where a group of soldiers had muskets trained on a huddling family dressed in fine sleepwear and robes. The red light trailed to one of the girls standing behind a young boy, holding on to his shoulders protectively. When Anna got a good look at her face-

"What the fuck?!" she exclaimed drawing back. She, she looked just like her! How-?

"Well, the only way to know all you can about history is to have lived it. And in case you're wondering, yes, that is indeed Anastasia Romanov." Historia appeared next to Anna and motioned towards the scene before them. Anna continued to gape until Historia knocked her jaw closed with a painful click.

"Keep your trap shut before a bug flies in."

"But how is this possible?!" Anna asked in disbelief.

"Simple, we've been reincarnated all throughout history every since the Ancient empires ruled the earth. Some lives were good, others… not so much." Historia answered. Anna looked at Anastasia and the rest of the Romanovs, and despite how much she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't deny the pull in her chest as if recalling a painful memory.

"I guess this explains my fascination with Russia…" she said mournfully after a moment.

"Go join with her and see for yourself." Historia pushed her towards Anastasia. Anna wasn't sure what she was talking about, but if Historia said this was her past life, she didn't see any harm in trying. Approaching Anastasia from the side, Anna placed a tentative hand on her shoulder and soon found herself regarding everything from the Duchess's point of view. She felt the same calm panic that the girl felt as she watched the soldiers bark orders at them, slowly starting to herd the family out of the room and down the halls which had gone suspiciously quiet. The memory then shifted, they were now in a large house where Anastasia sat in a parlour looking out of the barred window when there was a knock on the door.

" _Who is it?"_ Anastasia asked in Russian.

" _It's me."_ Anna felt her heart clench as she recognized Ivan's voice, but she felt Anastasia's heart rate rise as she bade the tall Nation in.

" _Vanya, you came to see me! I missed you! I hope they're treating you okay!"_ Anastasia said, fussing over Ivan's scarf and Soviet uniform. Ivan's usual smile seemed sadder than normal, and his usual blank eyes held a degree of fondness and affection that Anna had only seen reserved for her. Could it be…?

" _Da, I am okay. I hope that you are comfortable Anya."_ Ivan said, lightly brushing a stray strand of hair behind Anastasia's face. She could sense the lie in the first sentence, and Anastasia seemed to as well. Anna felt herself and Anastasia blush at the contact, as a plethora of memories flooded her brain. She was Anastasia as a child, running through the halls of the Winter Palace on her way to the study. Peeking around the door, Anastasia watched as Ivan discussed business of state with Tzar Nicolas II.

" _Ivan, my wife is due any day- what do you want child? Please don't-"_ Anastasia's father softly reprimanded before Ivan turned around and the two looked eyes. His smile grew at the sight of the child and he waved her in.

" _Why, hello little princess!"_ he greeted waving her in.

" _Papa, who is this?"_ Little Anastasia asked as she shyly walked in.

" _This dear one, is Mister Russia."_ Anna felt as little Anastasia's mind filled with confusion as she looked between Ivan and a large globe that sat on the desk.

" _But Papa, I thought you said our Russia covers most of the continent?"_ Anastasia asked.

" _Yes, but this man has been around as long as there has been a Russian on this world. He protects and helps me maintain this country, as he will do for my son."_ Nicolas explained. Anna's heart clenched at the simple statement. Even before the son was born, animosity had begun to rise against the royal family. She could see the lie in his eyes even as Anastasia didn't.

" _So, he is like an angel?"_ Anastasia asked in curious awe as she approached the tall country. Ivan smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

" _Not exactly…"_

" _I think you are, your eyes are so pretty! You can be my angel Mister Russia!"_ Anastasia exclaimed happily, hugging Ivan's leg. She barely went past his knee. Nicolas blushed on his daughter's behalf.

" _Natsya! That is highly inappropriate."_ he reprimanded but Ivan merely held up his hand and smiled.

" _Is okay! You can just call me Ivan little one."_ he said smiling softly. Anastasia beamed and hugged his leg tighter.

" _Big Brother Vanya!"_ she exclaimed happily just as the memory shifted. It was the grand ball room, a lavish party in full swing just as Anna saw it when Ivan had Projected a memory similar to this before. That felt like an eternity ago.

" _Vanya!"_ an older Anastasia called out as she weaved between the patrons to find a uniformed Ivan, dressed in the same Imperial garb he donned for the Projection, standing in the middle of the crowd. He turned and faced her when she called, and the warm smile he gave her told Anna everything she needed to know. Anastasia and Ivan were in love. A part of her felt sad that Ivan at one time loved another, but then again, the other was supposedly her in another life. And if the memories and instant feeling of safety she felt in Ivan's presence whenever they met were anything to go by, then she could deal with this small detail.

" _Hello sunflower! You look beautiful!"_ he exclaimed as he took her outstretched hands. Anastasia leaned up to kiss him once on the cheek while Anna's heart clenched at the nickname. Did Ivan realize that she was Anastasia's reincarnation when he first met her? Anastasia had slimmer brows than she, stood a little taller than she and had a slimmer frame, but the other similarities could not be denied. She felt Anastasia blush at the compliment as she turned away.

" _You're too kind. Come, you must dance with me! You promised!"_ Anastasia insisted, pulling Ivan along towards the dancefloor.

" _Of course little one!"_ Ivan exclaimed happily, the pair quickly moving into the right position just as the music changed to a joyous minuet. Anna felt Anastasia's heart swell as the two moved together, the way Ivan looked at them made it hard for them to breathe. The memory swirled back to the present, or rather when Ivan and Anastasia stood in that small parlour alone. Anastasia reached up to stroke Ivan's face as she sighed sadly.

" _I'm going to die tomorrow."_ she stated calmly, Anna felt slightly unnerved at how the seventeen year old seemed so content with the fact. Ivan's smile dropped and his eyes widened in shock.

" _No! No, little one, that is not-!"_ he started to protest but Anastasia shushed him.

" _It is alright Vanya, my dear Russia. I am not afraid,"_ she started, stroking Ivan's face as if he were a child. Ivan looked down and frowned until Anastasia lifted his chin to look at her, " _at least, let me give you something."_ Ivan's brow furrowed slightly until Anastasia lifted herself on to her toes to place a chaste, gentle kiss upon Ivan's lips. They felt colder than Anna remembered. When she pulled back, Ivan regarded the princess with shock.

" _That was my first kiss, and it's the only one I'm going to have. And now, it's yours my dear Vanya."_ Ivan looked at the girl in awe before embracing her tightly, calling out her name and various diminutives as both girls felt the tell tale warmth of tears on their shoulder. Anna, within Anastasia's mind, burst into tears as well as the memory shifted. Anastasia was on the floor of a shared bedroom, twitching and writhing in agony. Anna wanted to clutch in on herself as she felt the musket balls that peppered Anastasia's body burn her own. Anastasia was crying and afraid. She looked over at her sister Maria, who looked back at her lifelessly, and at the bodies of her father and mother with her other siblings. Finally, she looked up at Ivan kneeling next to her. One Red commander barked orders at him.

" _Ivan! Are they all dead or not?"_ he shouted, causing Ivan to flinch and lean in close to the dying girl.

" _I will make it quick."_ he whispered into her ear, silently taking out a dagger from his boot and holding the girl up as he pressed it against her spine. Anna knew what was going to happen, that place on the spinal cord would make for a quick and relatively painless death as it was severed. Anastasia smiled up at him and nodded ever so slightly before they felt the cold steel enter their back, a sharp twinge of pain travelling up their body before it all went numb. As Anastasia's eyes darkened, Anna felt the drops of tears on her face before her soul detached from Anastasia's body, once again a silent spectator of events.

Ivan removed his knife and stared at it for a moment as soldiers carried the bodies of the royal family out to be disposed of. The commanding officer, Yakov Yurovsky Anna recognized, approached Ivan as he stood up and sheathed the knife. When he turned to face him, his eyes were a cold and lifeless icy blue, the smile small and faint.

" _It is done…"_ he said just as the memory shifted again. Historia took this time to appear again with a forlorn expression on her face. Neither she nor Anna said anything as the found themselves in a small apartment, the only light on in the small bathroom where Ivan stood shirtless over a wash basin, furiously scrubbing at his hands until they looked raw. The knife from before lay to the side, wiped completely clean until it looked new.

" _It won't wash off…"_ he muttered to himself, the strain in his voice breaking Anna's heart. She watched as he stared at himself in the mirror for what seemed like hours, the entire scene taking on a red tint as the familiar whispers invaded the space only this time much louder.

"Murderer… Heartless… Unloved… Inhuman… Demon… Who could ever love you… your hands will be stained with blood… Forever…" The cacophony made Anna want to cover her ears, but she fought it in sake of watching Ivan take the knife in his hand and look at it as if it were his salvation.

" _This heart… this wretched thing. I don't want it… I don't want it!"_ he yelled, taking the knife in both hands and aiming it at himself. Anna gasped in horror and when Historia made no attempt to stop her, she ran forward with every intention of preventing Ivan from performing such a drastic act, with every fibre of her being she screamed.

"IVAN DON'T!" but it was too late. Her hand phased through his arm as he brought the knife straight towards his chest, slicing through skin and muscle like paper as Ivan cried out in pain. Anna could only watch in shock as he twisted the blade until with a wet popping sound, his head was torn from his chest. Time moved in slow motion as she watched the bloody, damaged organ fall and bounce off of the floor slightly just as Ivan fell backwards. The space around them turned black, leaving nothing but her, Ivan, the knife and his heart floating in the empty space.

"Ivan, stay with me!" Anna called out as she fell to her knees and cradled Ivan's head upon her lap. Ivan's blank and tear filled eyes looked up at her but he said nothing. The whispers by this point had started to blend together and get louder, the pounding in Anna's head building until finally it became too much as her aura flared around her and Ivan protectively.

"Shut. The fuck. UP!" she yelled into the darkness around them, her aura flaring and flashing as it repelled the unwanted noises away from them. Ivan looked around confusedly before locking eyes with Anna.

"Why…?" he asked quietly. Anna lightly stroked the side of his face as she pondered what it was he was asking her. Why the Revolution? Why did he kill Anastasia? Why didn't he save her? Why was Anna here?

Why did they, both Anastasia and Anna, love someone such as him?

Anna offered him a small smile before kissing him gently upon his brow, moving to stroke his silver hair lightly as she struggled to give him an answer.

"Russia, my dear Russia… the deeds of a few men cannot possibly be used to condemn you like this. Yes, some of your people did horrible things and forced you to carry out their work. But… it, by no means, makes you a bad person. A bad person wouldn't feel this guilty, da? Anastasia saw this, and because she saw it, now I see it. Russia, isn't evil. Ivan, isn't evil. You just had one too many evil people trying to control you, but you have the power to change that. You saved my life, dearest Vanya, a true demon would have left me out in the snow to freeze. But you didn't! I've been living all my life keeping a reign on my feelings, all because I didn't know what it meant to be loved so unconditionally by someone until I met you. I tried to stop feeling too you know, after I lost Ian. I thought it would be easier to just not care. How could I go on being happy when the world took something so precious from me? But, the world gave me you Ivan, as I think it gave you me. We can relearn how to feel again together. So, please… don't leave your heart in this horrid place. Let me take care of it, so that you can take care of mine. Please… please… come back with me Ivan…" she begged, tears falling from her eyes as she leaned down to kiss him on the lips deeply. Cold, they felt so cold…

Suddenly, Anna felt a hand on the back of her head, threading itself through her hair and pulling her slightly closer to his lips before pulling her away gently. She looked down to see Ivan looking up at her with hope and slight awe, fresh tears pouring from his eyes as he tried to smile.

"My Anya…" he said quietly, using his thumb to wipe away her stray tears. She smiled at him as she reached over to gingerly pluck his heart from the ground and hold it over the wound. Looking up at him, he nodded once, granting her permission.

"I love you, Ivan." she said warmly, kissing him once more on the lips before gently lowering the heart back into its cavity. As she did, a warm bright light radiated from Ivan's chest outwards until her entire vision blazed pure white as certain voices started to emit from the space.

"I don't like it, she's been out of it for too long…!"

"Hand on dudes, I think she's coming around!"

"Ve? I think Mr. Russia is waking up too!"

"Big brother!"

Anna blinked her eyes, once, twice, three times before her surroundings came into focus. She was lying on the floor of the moving truck, all of the Nation's faces forming a circle as they looked down at her with worry. She groaned as she put a hand up to her head, god it was killing her.

"So… what did I miss?" she asked as she tried to sit up. America quickly moved to support her shoulders and try to push her back down.

"Easy there sport, you were outta it for like an hour!" he said uncharacteristically softly. Anna was grateful for that but she still insisted on sitting up.

"My back hurts like hell, let me up." she said, working out the kinks that had formed from laying on the wooden floor for so long. She looked down next to her see to her momentous joy Ivan awake, the hole in his chest almost completely healed save for thin, pale scar, and he looked up at her with shining eyes. Anna felt fresh tears of happiness come into her eyes as she dived down to embrace him as tightly as she dared, his large arms quickly coming up to hold her close.

"Anya, my little kotik…" Ivan whispered in her hair.

"I-I was so scared…" she started to admit, sobbing loudly into his shoulder until he shushed her.

"Is okay, I'm here now my sunflower." he said quietly, reaching up to pet her hair as he soothed her.

"Jeez, you actually healed the big guy's heart…" America exclaimed in disbelief. Anna looked over at him and laughed.

"It was never broken." she stated simply before yawning, she felt so tired all of the sudden…

"Here, take this Anna." England said handing her a strange green capsule. She reached up to grab it and looked at it curiously. It seemed like it was made out of some sort of clay.

"What is it?" she asked as she took a whiff and grimaced. It smelled rank! England smiled at her reaction.

"It will restore your energy as you sleep, you need it after what you've been through. You need your rest." he encouraged. Anna looked at it uncertainly before mentally saying fuck it and swallowing the thing whole. It tasted as rank as it smelled but the effects were immediate. Meanwhile, Ivan sat them both up and moved them to sit along the side of the truck in between Ukraine and Belarus.

"Thank you Anna, you saved us!" Ukraine exclaimed happily. Anna put a thumbs up in response before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Belarus looking down at her with a glare. Anna raised a brow, waiting for her to speak.

"You saved Big Brother…you're good." she stated simply before turning away. Everyone looked at her wide eyed for a second then smiled, seemed like Belarus has accepted Anna as Russia's girlfriend.

"Sleep Anya, I'll be here when you wake up." Ivan said, pulling her to fit snuggly against his shoulder. Anna looked up at him gratefully before sparing a glance to everyone present. This, finally, felt like home.

"Thank you…" she said softly, before letting her eyelids fall into a restful sleep.

 **AN: Almost there folks! Reviews please!**


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: New chapter folks! This one was a little hard to write due to lack of inspiration. Enjoy!**

Anna couldn't remember the last time she slept so soundly. When she awoke, the truck had stopped and she and Ivan were the only ones left in the truck. She could smell the familiar scent of fresh baked bread, roses, and cigarette smoke.

"Why are we in Paris?" she asked yawning as she rose from her position against Ivan's shoulder. Ivan looked down at her and smiled.

"Mister France wanted us to come to his place and tell him about what happened. Everyone is by the Louvre right now." he replied before pulling her close. Anna nodded and snuggled into his side, placing her head against his chest where she could hear his heart beating steadily. The sound made her smile, and she had a feeling that there wouldn't be any more worries about it jumping out at random. Ivan looked at his sunflower with adoration and pure happiness in his eyes. His sunflower, the reincarnation of his little princess. Now that he looked at her, how could he have not seen it before? If there was a God in heaven, then He has truly blessed them both with a second chance.

"How are you feeling Vanya?" Anna asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"I am happy, so happy…" he replied honestly, kissing the top of her head as he did. Anna smiled and turned her head up to lightly peck his lips. They felt so much warmer now.

"Me too," she said, wrapping her arms around his chest for a moment before moving to get up, "do you want to take a walk? I'd like to stretch my legs for a bit." Ivan nodded and got up after her, following her as they exited the back of the truck into the city of Paris. A light falling of snow had painted the city a soft white, the sharp and clean scent a welcome respite after spending hours underground and in the back of an old truck. The twilight sun gave the snow a rosy glow that radiated comfort and the fragility of the moment. Anna took a moment to take it all in before threading her fingers through Ivan's, leading him away from the truck and through the streets of Paris.

"I have to give it to France, this really is a beautiful city. Don't tell Arthur I said that." Anna remarked casually. Ivan laughed at her statement.

"My lips will be closed." he replied.

"It's so quiet here… I hope that he recovers from these attacks soon." she said, smile faltering slightly. They may have won a battle today, but there is still a war to fight. As if sensing her growing apprehension Ivan disentangled his hand from hers to wrap his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer against him as if shielding her from any outside harm.

"What is on your mind kotik?" he asked. Anna looked up at him and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I was just thinking about how, well, crazy this all is! I mean, only a handful of weeks ago I was just a tiny little war historian who had to find all of her information out of dusty old books in a library or in online databases. My biggest worry back then was putting all the right notes together, and to me 'Hetalia' was just a little tv show that I watched." she remarked.

"And now?" Ivan asked with a smile. Anna looked up at him and beamed almost in disbelief.

"Now, not only am I in Hetalia but now I can be a part of it! I went from being an historian to representing History itself, and I get to do that with some snazzy new powers, friends, and one hell of an epic scythe! Plus, I got to meet you. Even if none of the other things had happened, if this was just some kooky romcom fanfiction where I just stay as plain old Anna and there was no Hive to deal with, I would still consider myself to be the luckiest girl in the world for having the chance to be with you Vanya." she said as a small flush appeared across her face. Ivan smiled warmly at her before leaning down to place a loving kiss on her lips.

"My Anya, you are the sunshine of my life, my little sunflower…" he whispered against her lips, sending a few shivers down her spine.

"Don't call me little…" she retorted teasingly, reaching up to ruffle his hair. This only caused Ivan to smile brighter.

"Why not? I can protect you and hold you close whenever I like, plus you are perfect size for sneaking around vents and such!" he replied happily.

"Only you can make me being short into a good thing, but just because we're going out does not mean that you can get away with it, you hear me?" she warned. Ivan only smiled and nodded.

"Of course kotik. Now, I do have question I want to ask."

"Alright, shoot!"

"What is this Fanfiction you speak of?" at that question Anna blanched and looked around awkwardly. Every fangirl's worst nightmare; having to explain what Fanfiction is.

"Um…. It's a website where people who love various things can write their own versions or stories in relation to whatever they like. So, for instance people sometimes write stories where Arthur and France actually get together as a couple despite the fact that they're like oil and vinegar in real life and there is no way in heaven, earth or hell that any self respecting British gentleman will-"

"I think I understand, though, does any of them write about the sex?" Ivan interjected, stopping her mid rant. Anna started and blushed a little.

"Um, sort of… yeah… but it's not porn! Well, sometimes it can get explicit… but it's not porn!" Anna said quickly.

"Have you written about the sex then?"

"Ivan! That's extremely personal!"

"Is okay, I do not mind! Perhaps I'll just have to give you more material to write about, da?" he said walking away with a cheeky smirk, leaving Anna flabbergasted and flushing deep red. For him to suggest such a thing in PUBLIC!

"That's- well- we'll see…" she muttered under her breath, causing Ivan to chuckle and pull her in close.

"You are so cute…" he said quietly before leaning down to kiss her sweetly. Anna melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer. It was then that she noticed something important missing.

"Vanya, where's your scarf?" she exclaimed in shock, looking around quickly in case it had fallen anywhere. Ivan merely smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders in an effort to calm her.

"I left it in truck my sunflower. I don't like wearing it when I'm with you." he stated simply. Anna's eyes widened slightly before she pouted a little.

"Still, it's snowing here… I don't want you to get cold." she muttered.

"Well then, keep me warm da?" he exclaimed happily holding her as they continued walking. Somewhere along the way they passed a street musician playing the violin, a sweet romantic melody dancing from the strings. Anna smiled and shook her head slightly.

"Even in the wake of being attacked at his center, you can leave it to France to set the right mood." she remarked offhandedly. Ivan looked at the musician and nodded.

"Da, he can be good guy I think." he agreed.

"Do you think-" Anna started to ask before her head started to swim and her vision got blurry. It was just like what happened with the Paris Attacks. Another vision? What now?!

She found herself watching a man dressed in black speaking into a microphone, a high-powered long range sniper rifle in his hands as he looked over a ledge. Looking around, Anna realized that they were on the roof of a building and if she looked over, she could see the glass Louvre pyramid just a ways off.

Along with all of the former Axis and Allies standing together in the large courtyard just near the pyramid.

"I'm in position. Are ye sure that this stuff will work?" the man asked with a thick Irish accent. Anna couldn't hear what the other person on the other end said, just a bunch of garbled whispers.

"If ye say so mate. What for the twelfth chime, pop the frog. Roger that. Over and out." the man replied to whatever orders he received before removing his headset and setting up his rifle on the small pre-set tripod next to the ledge and took aim.

Right at France.

The vision swam again and she was back in her body, having collapsed on the ground with a worried Russia looming over her.

"Anya! Anya! What is wrong?" he called to her as she came to. Realizing what she had just saw, Anna lept up to her feet and started frantically searching around for the Louvre.

"They're danger, I have to warn them!" she yelled, spotting the glass pyramid on the other side of the Seine near a bridge. Before Ivan could question her she took off sprinting at breakneck speed, jay-running across the busy road as cars honked at her angrily. People regarded her curiously and with apprehension as they wondered what had her so worried, the attacks of a couple nights ago still fresh in their minds. Anna ran across the bridge as fast as she could, the cold air burning in her lungs as she felt her heart beat like a steamhammer within her chest. Just as she crossed the bridge, a clock started to chime. Looking down at her watch, it had struck exactly noon.

"Oh no…!" she whispered to herself as she ran towards the courtyard. In the distance, she could see the group of Nations standing in the courtyard.

First chime, she took off across the courtyard.

Second chime, her lungs were burning.

Third chime, she called out to them as loud as she could. They didn't hear her.

Fourth chime, she tripped and slid over a small patch of ice but managed to keep going, despite feeling her scarf fall from her neck.

Fifth chime, she wasn't going to make it.

Sixth chime, she WAS going to make it.

Seventh chime, she could hear that ridiculous French laugh in the distance.

Eighth chime, Italy whined about getting pasta.

Ninth chime, Germany yelled at Italy.

Tenth chime, Russia called out her name from somewhere behind her.

Eleventh chime, she was so close-

"FRANCE! MOVE!" she yelled, watching as he turned towards her in slow motion. Without even thinking she held out her hands and pushed France away as hard as she could.

Twelfth-

BANG!

-chime, Anna eyes widened as she felt an agonizing burn shoot through the side of her neck, a small hot object piercing her straight through her throat. As she fell to the snow covered concrete below, the burning turned into blazing pain as something warm flowed into her throat and out on to the ground, quickly staining the snow crimson red.

She couldn't breathe-! she realized as she made to reach for her throat. England, America and Germany appeared above her as England propped her up so that she wouldn't choke.

"Dear god, Anna stay with us!" she could hear him call to her. She looked over at England and saw that the bullet had buried itself in his left shoulder, but the pain didn't seem to bother him. The pain was so much tears were slashed down her face, and when she tried to speak she could only cough up blood that splattered in front of her. England flinched away as a few landed on his face.

"No no no, don't speak! Save your energy. FRANCE! GET A DAMN AMBULANCE HERE!" England barked at a bewildered France.

"Zhey are already on zheir way Angletèrre!" France exclaimed. The shouting around her made her ears ring, her eyes landing on a wide eyed Russia who was clutching her red scarf in horror. Ivan, she needed Ivan-! She reached a weak hand out to Ivan who rushed to her side in an instant, grabbing her hand with both of his.

"Оставайся сильным*, please stay awake for me!" he all but begged her with wild eyes.

"She's losing too much blood, ve need her to stay calm!" Germany exclaimed. Anna's vision was starting to swim and her heart felt like it was about to burst.

"I'm going to have to put her to sleep…" England sighed, causing both Anna and Russia to look up at him in alarm.

"Нет! I will not-!" Russia started to protest darkly when England sent him a hard stare.

"She will KILL herself if I don't! This may be the only way to save her!" he argued. Russia let forth a growl when Anna reached up to grab his arm.

"D-do it…please…" she garbled out quietly, the taste of blood flowing across her mouth. Despite that, she managed a small smile towards Ivan, trying to reassure him that she wasn't going to die here.

"My Anya, you have got to wake up…" he whispered into her hands before kissing each of her knuckles individually. Anna managed a feeble nod before looking up at England. He nodded once before putting a hand over her eyes.

"Close your eyes…" he ordered quietly, Anna doing as he said just as she felt a strange pulse of energy enter through her eyes and spread itself throughout her entire body. Voices and sounds grew faint and distant as her body grew numb and felt as if she were floating away in a cloud. Her vision grew dark as the sounds of her heartbeat and breathing echoed in her inner ear. Faintly, she could hear one voice call to her from amongst the others;

 _Until you're ready, wait for the right time._

Historia? What did she mean-?

Suddenly, Anna felt as if she were falling through the dark abyss, looking towards a bright white light as it swiftly approached. She wanted to shut her eyes as it hit her, but instead she found herself opening her eyes as she sat bolt upright.

On the middle of the floor of her London apartment.

"W-What?!" she exclaimed quietly, her head pounding as she took in her surroundings. Everything was as she left it, long-cold cup of tea and everything. She still felt the faint burning in her neck where she had been shot, but when she touched it, there was only smooth skin. She was still in her torn black sweater and the red scarf was caught in a tight grip in her left hand. Standing up on shaky legs, Anna slowly registered that her environment was no longer animated and when she looked down at herself, neither was she.

She was back in her world.

The moment the realization hit her, she started frantically searching her floor for the mysterious parchment with the incantation that brought her to Hetalia in the first place.

"Where is it? Please, I have to go back!" she called out to no one in particular as she searched her kitchen, her living room, under the couch, under the coffee table, in her bedroom, under her bed, in her closet, behind her bookshelves, under her desk, in the bathroom. There was nothing.

She walked back to the living room where her tv still showed the last episode of Hetalia that was playing when she left. It was paused at the moment America and England were fighting over the taste of England's scones. Feeling a lump form in her throat, Anna reached up to pull the glasses off of her face. Silver frames, not black. They were America's. Walking to her window, she looked over the view of London and half expected to see England walking among them. Looking at her cookbooks, she wondered how she could ever cook for herself again if she didn't have Italy with her or Romano barking in her ear. As she moved to place the dirty cup in the sink, her movements mechanical and lifeless, she looked into her fridge to see most of her food had gone bad. Especially the tomatoes. They probably weren't as good as Spain's anyways. As she closed the fridge she saw a few magnets, a rose and a frog, and she had a mind to remove them. She never did get to know France any better, nor China for that matter. Japan, Ukraine, Belarus, so many others as well….

Finally, her eyes fell upon the red scarf that laid in a heap on the ground where she had dropped it in her search. Slowly walking over to it, she bent down to grasp it tightly in her hands, her tears creating dark spots on the red fabric. The black initials glared back at her almost tauntingly, reminding her that this and everything she had accomplished existed in a universe that she had been banished from.

She was stuck back in her world, with no way to get back to her new home, back to her new friends, back to-

"Ivan…" she choked out. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing into her scarf.

Translation:

*- Stay strong

 **AN: Omg please don't kill me! THIS. IS. NOT. THE. END!**


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: 'Ello! New chapter! Does Anna make it back to Hetalia? Read to find out! ;)**

 _2 Months Later_

Anna wiped away any remaining speck of dust from the gold brocade frame. Displayed proudly in the frame was her Doctorate Degree, written on pale brown parchment with Gothic calligraphed letters sprawling across its surface. Naming her as Annabelle Louise Colins PhD, World History. Yes, she was now Dr. Colins, and she never got tired of hearing nor saying that, much to the quick annoyance of her friends and family. The _viva_ examination flew by in record time, the examiners and the head of her department astounded by the sheer perfection of her dissertation. 'It was as if she stepped back into history itself and saw it unfold before her eyes.' Ha, if only they knew.

Her father, grandparents, and all of her closest friends had flown over to watch her receive her formal certificate. Seeing her dad in tears over her achievement really made it all worth while, and when she took all of her friends out for drinks they all said that Ian would have been proud of what she's done. She was even more emotional than normal that night when she got around to drinking her whiskey.

She didn't think that she would have made it this far without the support of her friends. The day she returned from Hetalia, she had ended up crying herself to sleep on the cold floor, clutching the red scarf to her chest. All of her bones ached when she moved and her face was all splotchy, but the first thing she did was boot up her PC and contact Kaitlyn to explain what happened. There were many tears, blubbering, and worry on her part, but sensible Kate had managed to calm her down enough to see that something must have happened when she was shot that caused her mind to go into shock or something and she was teleported back. While it did make sense at the time, Anna still felt as if a large part of her was still in Hetalia. But, Kate reminded her that she should do as her British heritage has always done, carry on until the moment is right. Just like Historia said.

So she did just that, burying herself in perfecting and writing her thesis until her deadline arrived. There had been a few wobbles concerning her unexpected absence and the case of the overdue library book, but her perfect record to that date and assurances that her absence had been beneficial let her off easy. Kate, Tris, and Kim had taken their time out of their schedules to visit her after she got her degree and she took them all around Britain and parts of Scotland. Kate was especially in love with everything, dragging the rest of the group to see the homes of authors like the Brontes, Dickens, Austen, etc. Tris sampled some pastries and may have bought a cookbook (or three) written by Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, and Delia Smith respectively, and Kimberly was ecstatic when Anna procured them tickets to see three different West End shows. Anna didn't mind, seeing her friends happy helped to make her forget sometimes.

It was on one of these trips that she rediscovered a little bit of her abilities. They were driving through Yorkshire and Anna had looked out a window towards a wide open field, only to see two medieval armies almost literally tearing each other apart. A white rose and a red rose flashed through her mind. When she blinked her eyes it was gone. Somewhere in her mind she felt like she had seen a key battle of the Wars of the Roses, the battle for the crown between the Yorks and the Lancashires that actually inspired the story for Game of Thrones. Fun fact for y'all there. She didn't say anything to her friends, until it happened again in central London when she looked up into the sky and saw German bombers flying overhead. Tris thought that maybe Anna was willing herself to see these things, Kimberly believing that it was a sign of Anna's return while Kate deducted that whatever happened to her physically in Hetalia was starting to bleed through into her world.

For Anna, it gave her hope. And gave her a reason to stop crying herself to sleep at night while holding the red scarf, that she still wore every day no matter what she wore with it. Until then, it along with the glasses and the torn sweater were her only tethers to what happened, that everything she had experienced was not a dream or some hallucination caused by a mental breakdown. Her hat had fallen from her head when she was shot, and she mourned its loss. Now she was certain that it was real. And that one day, she may go back.

For the last days of her friends' visit, she freaked them out when she used the Near Sight to find out what they had just done before meeting her. Tris called her a demon for it, something she only laughed at. Now, three days after they had gone home, Anna was settling down for the night with a cup of chamomile tea and a good book given to her by Kate for Christmas. She found it hard these days to read historical books from her world, something in her mind always bugged her that what she was reading was highly inaccurate, no matter how many accolades it received. Needless to say, it made her job a little harder to enjoy.

That night when she settled down to sleep, she had the same recurring dream that had been haunting her mind these past couple days. She was in a white room, bathed in bright lights as voices swam around her. This time however, she could make out individual voices from the din.

"Dude, it's been two whole months… what if she doesn't wake- sorry." that sounded like America!

"Whatever Mister England did to her must have been too strong for her brain, my little brother is still mad at him." she heard Ukraine worry. Oh no, it wasn't his fault!

"I don't blame the big guy, what happened to her was rough. France is still blaming himself. But if I'm being honest here, right now I'm more worried about-" America's cut off. Wait, no! Don't wake up now!

"Ivan…" she heard herself whisper.

"DUDE! She spoke! Nurse!" American called out just as Anna was roused from consciousness by the sound of a high pitched voice.

"Anna, Anna! Anna, is that really you?" it asked. It sounded like it was coming from above her… blinking her eyes open, Anna's heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she saw two black eyes staring down at her from above her head, the faint sound of wingbeats echoing through the room. It only took her a second more that the being's face was mint green and furry.

"Flying Mint Bunny! Bloody hell I've missed you! What are you doing here?" Anna asked sitting up in bed as she held her hands out for the creature to rest upon. He looked so different in the real world, like an actual rabbit but still mint green and with wings. FMB nuzzled into her palms a little before replying.

"I came to see how you were doing!" he exclaimed cheerfully. Anna felt her heart melt at the cuteness.

"Oh, you little sweetheart! How did you get here? How is everyone? Is Ivan alright? Has Hive been-" Anna rambled off questions as quick as she could, nearly overwhelming the poor bunny.

"Woah woah woah, slow down! I don't have all that long here, but Arthur sent me! We're all doing okay thanks to you, though the scary tall guy has been really gloomy. Arthur's worried that it will bring bad luck to us if he doesn't cheer up. None of the bad guys have made an appearance since you went to sleep." FMB replied. Inwardly Anna breathed a sigh of relief, thank god everyone was okay, but she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Went to sleep? You mean, my body is still there?" she asked. FMB nodded.

"Arthur figured that your human half and your Personification half got separated when the bullet hit you, so when he put you to sleep your human half got transported here. I have to go back now, it's taken a lot of energy for him to send me here. Do you want me to bring them a message?" FMB said.

"Wait! How do I get back?!" Anna asked frantically. FMB merely smiled. She didn't know rabbits could smile…

"You'll see… bye bye!" FMB called out as he started to fade away.

"Wait, tell them that I miss them and I will find a way!" Anna called after him just as he faded completely from existence. Wait and see, wait and see… how much longer was she going to have to wait?

…

A couple days later, Anna received an email from the University of Moscow asking to attend a three day long seminar discussing the Romanov family imprisonment and the ethics behind their murder. This seminar took place in a week, but the opportunity and sheer coincidence of the subject being about one of her past lives was something she could not pass up nor ignore. Cambridge had already been notified and they made the necessary travel arrangements, all Anna had to do was pack and go.

To be honest, Anna was terrified about going to Russia. She worried that seeing the Russia of their world would be too much for and she would have a breakdown the moment she saw any of the beautiful things Ivan had shown her back in his world. Kaitlyn listened to her worries when she called crying about them and she had encouraged her to go.

"Who knows, it may even give you some closure in case you don't ever make it back there." she reasoned. While the simple statement sent daggers through her heart, Anna knew Kaitlyn was right. So, when she boarded the plane she steeled her heart against raising any false hopes. Having been unable to sleep on planes as long as she could remember, Anna instead watched out of the window with her music blaring in her ears to drown out the sound of the engine. At the moment, Evanescence's "Lost in Paradise" was playing, and she couldn't help but feel the onslaught of emotions and memories flood her brain. It reminded her of when she was at the bottom of the mine shaft, how lost and alone she felt. She thought that she would never sink so low again. She'd take being trapped in that abyss any day over being separated like this from the one she loved.

When she landed in Moscow, she was greeted at the gate by the head of the seminar Dr. Irina Malkovich. She was a middle aged woman with brown hair tied in a loose bun, dressed in business attire. She smiled warmly as Anna approached.

" _Hello Dr. Colins! Welcome to Russia, so glad that you could join us."_ the woman greeted in russian extending an arm out. Anna smiled politely as she shook the woman's hand.

" _Thank you for having me, it's a pleasure to be welcomed to your country."_ she replied in kind. Dr. Malkovich smiled at her and proceeded to lead her out of the airport.

" _Your russian is perfect! This is your first time here, yes? I hope your flight was comfortable."_ she asked as they walked to a small black car waiting out front for them. The driver came around to collect Anna's bags and put them in the back as she responded.

" _My flight was alright, thank you. But this is not my first time in Russia, actually. I spent some time here with a dear friend of mine, he helped me perfect my russian."_ Well, not technically a lie. The rest of the car ride to her hotel was pleasant, Malkovich telling her the overview of the seminar, who would be speaking, etc. Anna was only half listening, taking whatever opportunity she could to look out of the window. To everyone's surprise, it was snowing. That was the author being sarcastic by the way, in case you didn't get that. Or if you're American. The snow gave her comfort, at least one thing here looked and felt the same here. Malkovich dropped her off at her hotel and after she had gotten settled, Anna decided to walk around the city for a bit.

Despite breaking one of her own Rules, Anna bought herself a coffee from a little shop in order to stave off the effects of jet lag. While she did feel a buzz, the jet lag kept her from going too crazy. Besides, she wanted to enjoy her walk. She had no real reason or destination, she just wanted to… feel something. She didn't know what, a sound, a sight, a touch… something to let her know that even this other universe, she could still sense Russia. Still sense Ivan with her. Before she knew it, she had come across a little park with a few trees dotted about. The snow had covered the place completely white, not even a footprint or leaf disturbed the perfection. Seeing no one else around, Anna took a few steps into the park and listened as the snow crunched underneath her feet, leaving perfect outlines of her feet as she walked.

Suddenly, she felt something tug at the end of her scarf, causing her to whirl around to face whoever grabbed her. To her surprise, she was met with nothing but snow.

"Who's there?" She asked aloud in english, then once again in russian. Looking around she saw no one, not even a trace of anyone being-

Hang on, who was that in the distance? Anna squinted as the snow grew in its intensity, slightly obscuring her vision, but she could make out the silhouette of a man. His clothes were so light they almost blended into the background, making him almost invisible save for the fluttering of the ends of his scarf in the wind. Anna took a couple steps closer and saw that his hair was a pale grey and long… wait a minute!

"General Winter?!" she exclaimed wide eyed. Said man turned to face her and pointed towards a cluster of trees. Anna turned to see where he was pointing at and when she turned back to face him he had vanished. She looked around for a sign of the mysterious Personification but once again was met with a wall of falling snow. Did he mean for her to go to the trees? If so, then she did without hesitation. Two months. Two fucking months she's been barely surviving in her world, waiting for a sign that she could go back to where her heart laid. Flying Mint Bunny was just the beginning of her hope, and now General Winter? In Russia? This had to be it!

She came up to the tree line, feeling the snowfall start to listen as the air grew still, as if it were holding it's breath waiting for Anna to enter. Looking between the trees, Anna saw General Winter walking away from her, stopping to turn and look at her. As he did, a sudden gust blew and her scarf blew off, Anna just barely catching it as it continued to be blown by the wind. Looking up General Winter had vanished again. Was she meant to follow? Would he take her back to Hetalia? Was she really ready for that?

She took her first step forward even before she finished her last thought.

 _Heart don't fail me now, courage don't desert me. Don't turn back, now that we're here…_ she sang softly as she walked slowly between the trees, stopping and turning to look back once before continuing.

 _People always say life is full of choices, no one ever mentions fear. Or how this world can seem so vast, on this journey to the past._ she continued singing, slowly gaining momentum and confidence as a smile grew on her face. The wind seemed to pull and push her along gently, assuring her that she was making the right choice. While this song was something she sang to herself as a comfort, this time it felt like a call to action, a promise to the winter winds.

 _Somewhere down this road, I know someone's waiting. Years of dreams just can't be wrong._ she ducked and weaved around trees, holding the red scarf close to her heart as she kept going.

 _Arms will open wide, I'll be safe and wanted, finally home where I belong. Well starting now, I'm learning fast on this journey to the past!_ she had broken out into a jog when she caught sight of Winter again, this time feeling excitement and hope bubble in her. The trees gave way to a wide clearing, completely covered by snow and perfectly encircled by a ring of trees. Winter stood at the other end point to a spot in the treeline where Anna could see a light emit. Was that the way back…? She almost thought this to be too good to be true. She took a few tentative steps forwards, this was it; no turning back if she were to continue now.

 _Home,_

She thought of the time she made the Nations dinner with the Italy brothers.

 _Love,_

Her first kiss with Ivan.

 _Family,_

Everyone sat down together in Russia's house.

 _There was once a time I must have had them too. Home, love, family, I will never be complete until I find you._ She wrapped the scarf tightly around her neck, slowly approaching the light, gaining more momentum and speed as she sang until she broke into a full out run. Winter smiled as she approached, vanishing into a flurry of snowflakes as she passed him and disappeared into the light. Anna could feel herself changing as the vision of the forest changed into something more lively, more beautiful, more…

Animated.

 _One step at a time, one hope then another, who knows where this road may go?_ Anna was beside herself with joy, hopping up on top of a log and swinging around a branch. A breeze fluttered and Anna felt a weight land in her hand as her hat was delivered to her from a above.

 _Back to who I was, on to find my future, things my heart still needs to know!_ With a new bout of confidence, she replaced the hat to its spot on her head and took off down the clearly marked path that went through this forest.

 _YES! Let this be a sign, let this road be mine, let it lead me to my past, and bring me home…_ her joy couldn't be contained, she skipped and kicked up snow and twirled as she realized that her form was animated once again. Breaking through the tree line, Anna ran towards a small overhang that overlooked a city she thought she would never see again.

St. Petersburg.

In Hetalia.

She was back.

 _At last!_

 **AN: For those of you wondering, that song I had Anna sing was "Journey to the Past" from Warner Bros.** ** _Anastasia._** **If you don't know that film or haven't heard of the song, there's YouTube for a reason folks! Go on, shoo! I promise to write the last three chapters (yes, you heard me; three) if you do! And a review wouldn't hurt either ;)**


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: Hey look, new chapter. The reunion you've all be waiting for folks!**

"WOOO WHOOO!" Anna called out in excitement as she slid down the snowy slope. She didn't care if her shirt and pants became full of the stuff, she was back! Standing up as soon as she got the bottom, she brushed herself off and shook the snow from all the nooks and crannies. It may have been fun, but damn it was cold! When she looked down at herself, she noticed that yes, she was once again animated, but her form appeared to be more translucent-

"Of course! My actual body is in a hospital somewhere!" she realized, but where? If General Winter brought her to St. Petersburg, chances are her body was here. Did Ivan have her transferred over from France after she was stabilized? When she thought of why her heart ached.

"Hang on Ivan, just a little longer…" she promised the air before she floated towards the city. No one seemed to notice as they walked by, which went to prove that at the moment she was just a spirit floating through the streets. When she got to the hospital, she saw a familiar thread of red light originating through the doors and twist along the halls and corridors as doctors, nurses, visitors and patients walked by obliviously. I guess my body is as anxious to see me as I am, she thought wryly.

"Well, you can't forget little ol' me." a voice teased from her side. Anna smiled.

"Hey Historia, I missed you too." she said happily, regarding her counterpart with relief as they followed the red light.

"So, are you ready to accept your role here then?" Historia asked. Anna nodded and pumped her fist.

"You bet your arse I am." she replied confidently. Historia nodded approvingly and smiled.

"Well, good news is that you haven't missed too much while we were gone. Hive has been quiet, world is still shite… the only difference being is that Ivan misses us like crazy." Historia caught her up as they walked the halls.

"What happened to us anyways? Why was I sent back?" Anna asked. Historia shrugged and shook her head.

"Honestly, I don't know. That shot would have killed a normal human, so I'm guessing you, the human part, somehow got booted back to where you came from as our body healed so that your mind could recover from the shock. How, I have no idea. But I'll tell you one thing, that bullet wasn't normal." Historia replied grimly. Anna furrowed her brow with worry and curiosity. Then a memory hit her all of the sudden! The projectile had gone _through_ her, and it went on to hit-

"Arthur! He got hit with that bullet too!" she exclaimed. Historia looked at her sharply and grew concerned.

"Are you certain? Because then that would make more sense…" she said cryptically, raising all sorts of alarm bells in Anna's head. Was something wrong with Arthur?

"Is he okay? What happened to him?" she asked frantically. Historia shook her head.

"He's been acting a bit strange… well, stang _er, e_ ver since he got injured. No one else notices but you can tell if you look hard enough. But we'll worry about that later, we have a body to wake up." Historia said, turning Anna into a clean white hospital room. It was empty save for the occupant in the bed, and it unnerved Anna to see herself laying there as if she were asleep but hooked up to a drip IV and heart monitor. A bandage was wrapped loosely around their neck, no doubt concealing the scars from both the gunshot and surgeries. Both she and Historia looked at their body with slightly unnerved faces.

"This is-" Historia started.

"-Meta as fuck." Anna finished, Historia nodding in agreement before the pair went on either side of their slumbering body. Historia grabbed the hand closest to her just as a nurse came in to check on their vitals.

"Ready?" she asked. Anna grabbed the other hand and nodded.

"Ready." no sooner had she said the word did she feel herself be sucked towards her body in a flash of light, only to find herself on her back staring up at the ceiling. Sitting up abruptly, she caused the young nurse to jump and scream. Since when did coma patients just MOVE?! And where did that hat and scarf appear from?! Anna looked at her with a cheeky grin.

"What's a girl gotta do to get some fries around here?"

MEANWHILE, AT A CONFERENCE IN PARIS

"That is enough about Hive! Ve need to get back to the vorld's problems at hand instead!" Germany shouted, slamming his hands on the table.

"But dude! What if they attack again? We need to be ready!" America protested. Russia nodded slowly, his expression icy cold and hollow.

"I agree with Mister America… next time we see the, we crush them like ant…" he said lowly, a dark aura pulsing from his from. As usual, the Baltics near him shivered and scooted as far as humanly possible away from him.

"Dude, don't agree with me, that's just creepy.." America shivered, subconsciously leaning closer to England who was sat on the other side of him. England winced. After Anna had been put in a coma Russia had come after him with murderous intent, it had taken him three weeks to convince him that it was not his fault.

"Germany is right, while the fact that Hive has been too quiet unnerves me greatly, we do have other matters to focus on." England said with heavy heart, shivering when Russia sent him a deadly glare.

"Perhaps we should take a break and come back this subject later, it's been a long morning for all of us." Hungary suggested. Everyone agreed and left to go for a thirty minute break. England was one of the last to leave, not trusting his back while Russia insisted to blame him. France and America walked up to just as he got up.

"It seems Russe is still blaming you, oui? Mon dieu, it was not your doing." France said, voice full of regret.

"I'm surprised she even survived man, I mean shot through the neck? When the docs said that her vocal chords weren't damaged I couldn't believe it! Until I heard her speak for myself…" America said quietly, just in case Russia was still in earshot. France sighed and shook his head.

"Are you sure you weren't just imagining things Amèrique?" he asked doubtfully, causing America to pout.

"I swear I did! She called out for the Ruski! You believe me England, right? Right? HEY!" America turned to England who was spaced out for the entire conversation until America shouted.

"Bloody hell America I'm right here! What do you want?" England asked angrily. America furrowed his brow in worry, he may not be good at sensing the mood but he knew his former caretaker better than most. It was not like him to just space out like that.

"Jeez dude, chill out! I asked you a question and you zonked out." America defended, genuinely concerned. England started, embarrassed that he had snapped at America, and shook his head.

"My apologies, I've just had a lot on my mind lately…" he muttered. He waited for France to make some snarky remark, but both Nations present were surprised when he didn't.

"How is your shoulder? You were also hit by zhat bullet, non?" he asked, also showing concern.

"Woah woah, are you worried about him France? Or should I even call you that, imposter!" America half-joked, pointing an accusing finger at him. As if catching his mistake, France smirked and flipped his hair as the air around him turned bright orange and sparkly.

"Oh but of course, if Britain is not well how can I show my superiority by dissing him on everything he does?" he asked sarcastically, the angry tick appearing on England's forehead as America held him back from beating the Frenchie senseless.

"France, the day you prove your superiority to England is the day America stops eating hamburgers for life." a voice remarked wryly. All three Nations started before looking at the source of the voice coming from the ceiling. A girl with red hair, glasses, Russian military cap and red scarf hung from the ceiling vent by one hand, feet dangling in the air as she looked at them nervously and waved.

"ANNA?!" all three of them chorused as they jumped on the table to stand underneath her.

"Hey guys, I woke up! America, when I get down please fork over those fries you have hiding in your back pocket, I'm starving!" Anna said, pointing at America before reattaching her hand to the vent in order to keep her steady.

"But how-? And please, no more flashbacks." England asked.

"No problem Arthur. Well, basically, my mind got transported back to my world, I came back, re-entered my body, woke up craving french fries, possibly gave a nurse cause to have a nervous breakdown, left the hospital, got some fresh clothes, learned you guys were here, used the Ley Lines to get here, snuck behind that bloody army you have guarding every door, crawled through the vents, forgot my fear of heights again, and now I'm kinda stuck dangling here so, help please?" she said sarcastically, kicking her legs in the air. Arthur raised his hands that glowed green, magically pulling her away from the vent and settling her gently down as she froze wide eyed.

"Okay, was not expecting magic… get over here and hug me already!" she exclaimed, running over to give the Englishman a hug first. For once he didn't receive it awkwardly.

"I'm certainly glad you're alright Miss Colins-"

"Ah ah ah, Dr. Colins now. You don't think I spent two months moping about on my arse at home did you? I had a paper to write!" she corrected, winking and grinning widely as the three of them congratulated her on her achievement. At this time Germany and Italy walked back in, along with a spattering of other countries.

"Vhat the hell is- Miss Colins?!" he exclaimed.

"Doctor!" all four on the table corrected.

"ANNA!" Italy cheered rushing towards Anna at breakneck speed. The three Nations barely had time to get out of the way before she had the air knocked out of her by the enthusiastic Italian.

"Feli! I missed you so much! But I can't breathe-!" she choked out through a smile, Italy quickly releasing her and apologizing.

"Calm down you bastard, you kill her again. Hey Sadist Bitch.." Romano grumbled as he approached, whacking Italy on the back of the head. Anna smiled at him.

"Hey Lovino, did you miss me?" she asked teasingly, holding out her arms for a hug which he scoffed at.

"As if." he grumbled.

"Come on, give Anna a squeeze." Anna insisted, scooting closer towards the grumpy italian who let out a sigh.

"Only if it would get you to shut up..." he agreed, giving her a quick hug before pulling away. Some things never change.

"Ohhonhonhon. ma chèrie, you saved my life before, I shall now show you my gratitude wizh a kiss~" France sang. England was about to protest but Anna held up her hand.

"Just this once, and only on the cheek. Anything else and I rip that beard out of your face." she said with a bright smile. France proceeded to kiss her once on each cheek, her trying her best to grin and bear it but she couldn't help the shudder that passed through her when it was done. She wiped the area with the back of her hand before turning to America.

"So Alfred, got fries?" she asked expectantly. America stiffened and looked around obviously guilty.

"What? What are you talking about? I don't have any fries with me, who brings food to a meeting? Why that is just absurd-" he rambled while everyone regarded him with the vertical blue lines. Anna reached around him and produced a medium sized portion of McDonalds fries. She deadpanned glared at him for a moment before smirking.

"You know, I was considering sharing with you, but since you've just lied to me I think I won't…" she said casually munching on a couple fries. America made to grab it from her but she held him at bay with her foot while the rest of the Nations laughed. More Nations flooded in and were surprised by the scene before them, Estonia whispering something to Latvia who ran off shivering.

"Aw come on dude, that's no fair! Give them back!" America whined.

"As if, you need to lose weight man!" Anna argued.

"M-Miss Anna, are you going to be staying here this time?" Lithuania asked. Anna nodded and smiled brightly.

"Yup! I'm here to stay this time. And I think from now on, you guys better get used to calling me 'Historia' in formal settings." she winked while she and others laughed happily. They were all so distracted that they didn't notice a trembling Latvia return in the room followed by an ominous presence. Said person looked up at the growing crowd on the table and froze in shock when he saw the girl standing in the middle, laughing and smiling.

"Anya…?" Ivan questioned in disbelief, his hands fidgeting with the ends of his scarf as slowly people stopped their mirth and turned to look at him. Anna jumped and made eye contact with him, the entire room going quiet as her vision tunneled in on the tall Russian regarding her with wide violet eyes. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as the months of separation registered in her brain and tears sprung into her eyes.

"Ivan…" she whispered faintly, afraid that if she spoke too loud the environment would fade around her as if it were another dream. When nothing of the sort happened, Anna threw the fries at America haphazardly before dashing along the length of the table. She lept off the edge into a flying tackle hug, Ivan just barely spreading his arms wide enough to catch her in a tight embrace. The force of the impact nearly caused him to lose his balance, but he didn't notice; Anya, his Anya, his little sunflower was alive and well, and back in his arms! He tucked her head into his shoulder as she began to sob loudly in happiness and relief, holding her as close to himself as he could, afraid that if he let go she would leave him again.

"Shh, don't cry Kotik, I have you now…" he cooed, holding back tears of his own.

"I missed you… s-so much! I-I wanted to get back, s-so badly… I'm sorry!" she cried, shaking in between sobs. Ivan stroked her hair softly, smiling brightly.

"I missed you as well, my sunflower. You are back now, is all that matters, da?" she looked up at him and nodded, before leaning up to kiss him tenderly. Their lips met hesitantly, as if reacquainting themselves for the first time. The pair felt a hole that had lingered in their hearts during the months of separation become warm, a string reaching out to connect them once more as the kiss started to deepen-

*CLICK*

The pair jumped apart and everyone turned to face a blushing Japan with his camera.

"My aporogies, prease, do continue…" he muttered quietly. Before Anna could say anything she found herself being picked up bridal style, Ivan turning quickly on his heel and carrying her out of the conference room.

"Russia where are you going?" England demanded. Ivan stopped and slowly turned to face the Englishman with a glint in his eye.

"My Anya and I are going to be leaving now. If any of you try to stop us, I will kill you dead, da?" he said with a small smile that Anna could only describe as sly. His statement caused her to blush and struggle in indignation.

"Ivan…!" she called out just as he carried her out the room and slammed to door behind them, leaving a room full of terrified and confused Nations behind them.

 **AN: As if you don't know what's happening next ;) if you want it to be posted faster, review please!**


	34. Chapter 34

**AN: I am sooo sorry I haven't updated recently, my inspiration has been nill as of late, but here it is! The next and final chapter of this first installment! Lemon warning in the beginning of this chapter, but lotso fluff in the end! Enjoy! :)**

Despite her shouting protests and kicking all the way, Ivan carried her all the way to his hotel room. However, against all of her expectations, the moment they entered his room he set her down gently before shutting and locking the door behind them. Anna had been fully expecting him to throw her on the bed and proceed to fuck her senseless, but when he turned to look at her with such tenderness and love she found that this was just as good if not better.

"Hey…" she said lamely, feeling her heart leap into her throat. He smiled shy and slowly approached her, bending down to capture in a warm embrace which she returned greatfuly.

"Привет…" he replied softly, his voice shaking slightly. For a moment they didn't say anything else, for nothing else was needed be said in their minds. Anna reached up to stroke the hairs on the back of his neck, delighting in the way he inhaled sharply and shivered at the sensations. How he had missed her touch! He retaliated by pulling the edge of her scarf down to start to kiss and nibble at her skin, Anna mewling in pleasure. However, he stopped when his lips touched something unexpected; a wrapped bandage.

Anna started and pulled away, flushing in embarrassment.

"Yeah, it's from the hospital… they said I can take it off whenever but… I'm scared.." she said, uncharacteristically meek. Ivan's eyes saddened in understanding, but he smiled and lightly stroked the side of her face. She looked up at him and nodded, giving him permission to slowly unwrap the bandages. Her breath caught as she felt the gauze slowly fall away under his deft fingers, the cool air making her hiss slightly as it hit her skin.

Ivan's brow furrowed. The places where the bullet had entered and exited were now twisted lumps of flesh, still pale pink even after all these months. Even darker pink lines where the surgeons had cut her neck open in an effort to save and stabilize her went across her skin and around the wounds, making it look like someone tried to decapitate her with a wire.

"H-How bad is it?" she asked nervously, shrinking underneath his scrutiny. Ivan's expression softened as he leaned down to once again pay attention to her neck with kisses and licks. This action caused her to gasp loudly and arch against him, was it her, or did her neck feel ten times as more sensitive than before? Ivan chuckled against her skin at her reaction.

"You're beautiful. The only marks you worry about, are the ones I will give you, da?" he whispered, voice dropping to a husky baritone that had Anna shivering pleasantly. Ivan's arm dropped to wrap around her waist and lift her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he slowly carried her over to the bed, setting her gently down as he continued to lave attention to her neck.

"Kiss me already you great fool…" Anna demanded coyly, pushing him away from her neck to send him her best bedroom eyes. Ivan smirked and did as she asked, pushing her down on to the bed as he kissed her deeply. Her hands went to his shoulders, sneaking under the edges of his coat to push it off of him. He let the coat fall back before unfastening her own coat, going painfully slow as he pushed through the seam of her lips with his tongue to deepen the kiss. This action earned him a moan as she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer as she battled him for dominance. She held out far long than last time until Ivan decided 'enough' and forced his way past her tongue while wrenching her coat off so that he could grab her sweater and literally rip it off her body.

"I-Ivan!" she cried out in indignation! His response was to glare at her pointedly as he undid his tie and threw it to the side.

"Two months, my sunflower. Two months." was his reply. And with that he was on her, kissing her fiercely and desperately as he made quick work of the rest of their clothes. He started trailing kisses down her neck towards her chest, biting and marking at her collarbone before continuing downwards towards her breast. Anna was panting and squirming underneath him, feeling her body start to heat up underneath his touch. Not wanting to be outdone, she lifted her foot to stroke along his inner thigh, teasing him as she got closer towards his length but drifted back down before it touched.

"What's your rush? We've got the time- eep!" she started to tease when all of the sudden he grabbed her leg and flipped them over so that she was on top. Um, huh?

"If you're going to tease me kotik, you'll be punished. Pleasure me." he all but ordered, smirking darkly. Anna felt her face flush bright red, until she realized their positions and an idea come to her mind. Smiling seductively, she leaned down to kiss him slowly, moving her lips in a way that had him completely focused on the sensations. Perfect. Without him noticing, she grabbed his tie from before and slowly guided his hands until she swiftly tied them to the headboard, pulling back to chuckle at his surprised expression.

"Consider this revenge for last time, darling." she purred. The glare he sent her could have bored a hole in her soul. Well, it would if she had one.

"Anya…" he growled warningly, but she only tsked and tapped him lightly on the nose.

"Ah Ah, I'm only doing as you asked my love…:" she chided before leaning down to lavish attention to his neck much like he did before. He tensed and growled beneath her, pulling against his bonds but the silk held strong. Smirking, she bit down on the juncture of his neck and shoulder, leaving a dark hickey in her wake. Oh yeah, payback was a bitch.

"There, now everyone knows you're mine my love." she sang, trailing a hand down his chest sensually until she came to his length. Smirking, she started to slowly stroke him, chuckling as he hissed at her touched and unconsciously bucked into her hand.

"Anya… go faster…" he groaned. Feeling daring (or probably suicidal depending on your point of view), she did the exact opposite and slowed her movements, leaning down to kiss and nip at his chest and abdominals. "Kotik…" he growled lowly, earning a chuckle from her.

"Aw, don't I get to have-"

*RIIIP*

Oh shit.

Anna immediately felt herself pinned on to her back as Ivan lunged for her, a feral grin plastered on his face as he moved her so that her legs were wrapped around his waist and his length was positioned at her entrance.

"Я собираюсь сделать вас кричать…*" he growled in her ear. She barely had time to blush before he quickly sheathed himself inside of her, causing Anna to cry out and clutch at his shoulders at the intrusion. The pace was hard and fast, but in contrast to how rough his movements were his lips caressed the skin of her face and neck as he whispered sweet words to her, in both russian and english.

 _Kotik…_

 _My sunflower…_

 _Никогда не оставляй меня…**_

 _My love…_

Overwhelmed with emotion, Anna smiled and pushed him back slightly so that she could look into his eyes.

"Будьте еще момент ... Я хочу чувствовать тебя …***" she whispered. Ivan shivered when she spoke to him in his language, and slowed down so that he was grinding into her. Anna gasped as she felt him moving within her, every movement creating delicious friction between them. Ivan's hair was messy and sticking to his forehead with sweat, so Anna reached up to brush a few strands away as she smiled.

"V-Vanya… I love you…" she panted, before bringing his head down for a passionate kiss. Ivan groaned when the nickname fell from her lips and he returned the kiss with equal passion, starting to again pick up his pace gradually as he felt his end coming. Anna met each of his thrusts to the best of her ability, the hot coil inside of her winding tighter and tighter as he hit her sweet spot over and over.

"A-Are you close..?" Ivan groaned out, his rhythm becoming erratic. Anna nodded frantically and held him close.

"Y-Yes… o-oh god! Vanya!" she cried out as her body tensed in orgasm. White lights danced behind her eyes as Ivan thrusted a few more times before joining her in release, moaning deeply as he held his sunflower close. The pair of them lay their panting as they came down from their highs, Ivan moving slightly to the side as to not crush her. She stroked his hair lovingly, letting the soft silver locks slide through her fingers as he started to place gentle kisses on her shoulder.

"Are you happy my Anya?" he asked. She laughed a little and turned to kiss the top of his head.

"Impossibly so Vanya… we're together again." she replied. Ivan pushed himself up to smile at her lovingly before leaning down to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Мой подсолнечника… you came back to me." he stated as if in utter disbelief.

"I will always come back to you Vanya…" she said, stroking the sides of his face. He grabbed her wrist gently and placed a kiss on the inside of it, before moving off of her and pulling her to sit in his lap, tucking her head under his chin as he wrapped his arms around her. Anna snuggled into the embrace, sighing contentedly as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. To think at one point a couple months ago, she physically held his heart in her hands. She remembered that moment so vividly, often getting nightmares about it along with other horrific images from her learnings mixed in, and her smile melted into a frown.

As if sensing her sudden distress, Ivan started to stroke her hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"It is better now, my sunflower. My heart is in debt to you, da? Do not worry." he cooed.

"They're still out there… Hive I mean… what if I can't save you next time?" she whimpered.

"There will not be 'next time,' we are both stronger now da? And we are together again. They will not get between us again." he assured, still stroking her hair. She looked up at him and nodded.

"Da. They will not…" she agreed softly. He smiled before leaning down to kiss her tenderly, stroking the sides of her arms as she turned in his embrace to return the kiss. Over time, the kiss started to heat up and when she felt his teeth graze her bottom lip she pulled back with a gasp.

"Again Vanya?" she asked in disbelief. His mischievous chuckle sent shivers down her spine.

"I have had my little sunflower in my embrace for two months. We have a little catching up to do, da?"

"Oi! Who are you calling-? Mmph!" she started to protests before he swiftly captured her lips with his and pushed her back on the bed.

Needless to say, they didn't get much sleep that night.

…

Anna clutched her papers in shaking hands as Ivan stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders in an effort to get her to relax. Any second now…

"Dude, chillax man! Your speech is rad, you'll be awesome!" America cheered from behind her.

"Kesesesese~ But not as awesome as me, zhe awesome-!"

"Someone please smack him!" Anna shouted. Ever since she met the damned 'Prussian' he's done nothing but get on her nerves. Thankfully Germany took responsibility and smacked his older brother upside the head.

"Thank you!"

"Don't fret love, you'll be just fine." England comforted. She smiled nervously and nodded. No had told her that being officially indoctrinated as the Personification of History would involve her giving a speech! She gulped, it was almost time. Ivan leaned down to kiss her once on the cheek.

"You'll be fine kotik, I'll right behind you, da?" he said softly. She took a deep breath just as she was announced.

"...the Personification of the world's history, let us welcome Historia!" loud applause heralded her entrance as she slowly walked up the stage and approached the podium. She could feel thousands of pairs of eyes watch her as the man who had just announced her smiled at her and held out a large, ancient black book that held each Nation's identity and History as it was being recorded. This was to be her responsibility from now on, and she felt herself shudder in anticipation as the age and power of this book radiated from its surface. Placing her left hand on the cover as she was instructed, she raised her right hand as the man started to speak.

"Do you swear to uphold, maintain, and protect the history of our world, preserving it so that our descendants shall continue to learn from the lessons it teaches?" She nodded.

"I do."

"Will you guide our Nations and their people along the path to peace, helping them from repeating the mistakes of the past?"

"I will."

"Are you prepared to observe as the world continues to weave its legacy, knowing that faces will come and go with the passage of time and that as time goes one, you must be willing to change in accordance with the needs of the world?" At this Anna smiled as she glanced back at the Nations standing behind them, trading glances with each of them. Ivan smiled warmly at her and nodded, proud of his little sunflower.

"I am."

"Then welcome, Historia. The Culture Guardian of History!" the crowd erupted into thunderous applause as the book was handed to her and she took her place at the podium. She placed her papers and took a deep breath before addressing the audience. Even though she had physically lived for only twenty-two years, already she felt ancient and new in spirit. One day, her body will reflect what she felt going on inside her brain almost every hour of the day.

It had been a gradual realization, that the whispers in her head was History speaking to her. Historia smiled at her in her dreams, helping her accept and deal with the constant whispering. Of course, Ivan had been there every step of the way, without him she felt she would have surely gone crazy. Well, crazier.

She took a deep breath, a smile making her way on to her face as she began her first steps into her new life.

"Those who fail to learn from History, are doomed to repeat it. And I for one, am a little tired of repeating myself…"

The crowd laughed.

…

It was later that week and Anna was sat on the couch in Ivan's house, wrapped up in his embrace as they cuddled in front of the fire. She had just received news that a house was being built for her and the other three Culture personifications when they arrive. She had requested that it be built in the Yorkshire moors and that she be given a crest. When asked why, she said "Because I've always wanted my own crest since I was little and I think having a crest would be sick!" So, she got to design her own crest, a phoenix with it's wings spread out surrounded by red roses, an open book taking the coveted center spot as a scythe and an olive branch crossed behind.

She couldn't wait to see who the other Culture Guardians would be, and what sort of crest they would adopt.

"Are you happy kotik?" Ivan asked. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Ever since she awoke from the coma, Ivan had been asking her that question. Her heart melted at the question because it went to show how much he worried for her.

"Yes Ivan, I am happy. I'm happy to be with you, I'm happy to be here with everyone, and I would not trade any of it for the world."

"But what about your friends? You tried to contact them, da?" he asked. It was true, she had tried to connect with her friends back in her world, but it seemed whatever connection there was between the two worlds was now severed. She belonged here, and they belonged there. It was the simple fact of the matter.

"I do miss them terribly sometimes, but they would want me to be happy. There's no place I'd rather be than right here, next to you. Even when this house is built, I'd rather be here any day." she replied, leaning up to kiss his cheek. This seemed to please him as he tucked her head against his shoulder, sighing happily as the two enjoyed each other's company.

Yes, life was good for Anna- Historia. Millions of lifetimes waited for her, as well as the oncoming threat that Hive still presented, but now she wasn't alone.

She was home.

Translation:

*- I'm going to make you scream

**- Never leave me

***- Be still a moment, I want to feel you

 **AN: Wow. We actually made it guys, this is the end! This ended up being way longer than I originally intended it to be, but damn it was worth it! I want to say thank you all to those who have followed me through this first step of the journey, to everyone who has left me a review, favorite or follow, and anyone who decided to read it. But fear not my lovelies! There is plenty more to come, beginning with the next installment called...**

 ***pause for effect***

 **"The Girl Who Asked Too Many Questions!" It is currently in the planning stages and will probably end up being longer than this one due to how the characters and the story with develop in it. It will feature our beloved Iggy this time along with a new mystery guest, so stay tuned and stay awesome!**

 **"Did somevone say 'awesome?' Kesesesese~"**

 **Go away Prussia! (We love you and I promise to give you more on page time next story, but don't interrupt my Author Notes). Until next time!**


End file.
